An Ode to the AMC Hornet
The first time my dad took me driving in an empty church parking lot, it ended in tears (mine). There were 3 pedals in his car, but I only had 2 feet! It didn’t go well. A year later, at my grandparent’s house in New Hampshire for Thanksgiving, Dad asked if I wanted to try driving again. This time he had a new car – mercifully an automatic. I slowly backed out of the driveway and onto the quiet country roads. As I drove, my overactive nerves kicked in. I started sweating like Livingston Dell in Ocean’s Eleven, hacking into Terry Benedict's casino security system. I rolled down my window to the cold New England air for relief, much to the horror of my dad and stepmom, growing chillier in the back seat with each passing birch tree. Back home, I unclutched my fingers from the steering wheel and ran to report my success to grandma while dad poured a stiff drink – scotch, always scotch.
Makes 1 drink
+ 2 teaspoons sumac
+ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
+ 2 ounces scotch
+ 1 ½ ounces pamplemousse liqueur
+ 2 dashes black walnut bitters
+ Ice
+ Big ice cube
Mix the sumac and salt on a small plate (will make enough for 4 drinks). Wet the rim of a rocks glass and press into the sumac salt.
Add the scotch, pamplemousse liqueur, and bitters to a chilled cocktail mixing glass. Add ice and stir to chill. Put the big ice cube into the rocks glass and strain the cocktail over top.
