Cocktail & Other Recipes By Spirit Cognac & Other Brandy Cocktails

Tender Nob

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Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 09/13/22
Tender Nob cocktail in a rocks glass with clear ice and orange twist and lemon twist garnishes
Image:

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog 

The Tender Nob cocktail, named for the San Francisco neighborhood located between Nob Hill and the Tenderloin, is an original creation from Kevin Diedrich of Pacific Cocktail Haven. It features cognac, rye whiskey, two amari and walnut orgeat.

Orgeat is a nut-based syrup that lends silky sweetness to iconic Tiki cocktails like the Mai Tai, Scorpion and Fog Cutter. It was originally made with barley, but once it was discovered that almonds produce more flavor, barley was dropped from the recipe. Today, almond orgeat still reigns, but bartenders are experimenting with other nuts, including walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios.

The exact proportions of orgeat vary by the maker, but the syrup generally consists of a combination of ground blanched nuts, sugar and a floral component, like orange blossom water or rose water. In the Tender Nob, walnut orgeat adds sweetness and body, while complementing the spirits and Italian liqueurs.

Rye and cognac are a popular duo, employed in other classics like the Vieux Carré. Strega is an herbal liqueur based on a 150-year-old recipe that is said to include up to 70 different botanicals—one being saffron, which gives Strega its signature bright yellow color. Amaro Abano is infused with wild herbs, cardamom, cinnamon and bitter orange peel. Put the ingerdients together, and you get a full-flavored cocktail that is bittersweet and nutty. Stir one of these into creation after a meal, and let its digestion-aiding magic go to work.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce Hennessy cognac

  • 1 ounce Wild Turkey rye whiskey

  • 1/2 ounce Liquore Strega

  • 1/4 ounce Luxardo Amaro Abano

  • 1/4 ounce walnut orgeat

  • Garnish: orange and lemon twists

Steps

  1. Add the cognac, rye whiskey, Strega, Amaro Abano and walnut orgeat into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.

  2. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.

  3. Garnish with an orange twist and a lemon twist.