Sergio Leone (Death & Co. Recipe)

This cocktail is named after the Spaghetti Western filmmaker and is, of course, a tequila and Italian vermouth cocktail. Blood orange liqueur, another Italian ingredient is also part of giving this stirred cocktail a juicy flavor. I can't get Solerno blood orange liqueur, so I made it as close as possible to something on the market. Here's how.

First I juiced blood oranges and made a syrup, setting aside some of the juice to add to the infusion of blood orange and 100-proof vodka. After the syrup cooled, I added an oz. of cognac to preserve it and provide that grape and oak spirit whiff that is often central to orange liqueurs. While this was cooking, I put the peels of the blood oranges in 100-proof vodka to make a bitter tincture. After a week, I combined all three of these batches and fine strained them before bottling them. This is as close to a mass marketed blood orange liqueur as I think you will find and I'm proud of how it tastes. 

The rest of the cocktail is surprisingly simple and very tasty. It's like a fruity tequila Manhattan with cinnamon and chocolate notes from the chocolate bitters. 

• 2 oz. reposado tequila
• 3/4 oz. Cocchi Dopo Teatro vermouth
• 1/4 oz. blood orange liqueur
• 1 dash Aztec chocolate bitters

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.