Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor

This is one very delicious cocktail. I knew from the ingredients that it would be, but the name is magnetic, too: “Archibald’s Last Memory.” If you had three or four of these, it very well could be your last. But just one is a sublime experience.

You’ll want a solid, flavorful, high-proof rye whiskey to stand up against the radical minty-ness of the Fernet and herbaceous Benedictine. I’ve enjoyed this recipe with McKenzie’s Bottled-in-Bond Rye,  Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond Rye, Rabbit Hole’s Boxergrail Rye, and WhistlePig’s Piggyback 6 Year Rye, and I’m sure others will serve well, too. 

Fernet Branca is a bittersweet, spicy, minty amaro that, even in small doses, elevates the flavor of a cocktail with bright flavors that linger on the finish. It combines with the sweet herbaceousness of Benedictine to give this drink elegant complexity that evolves on the palate.  If you haven’t used Fernet before, pick up one of the 50ml bottles we carry at Pinnacle to try it. Otherwise, this cocktail will be delicious if you replace the Fernet with the more reserved Averna Amaro Siciliano.

The Flatiron Lounge in New York City is credited with inventing Archibald’s Last Memory, but we have no provenance for the cryptic name. I’ve searched (trust me), and the closest I can come is that there are (or were) two Canadians that it might reference. One is Archibald Lampman, a leading Canadian poet of the romantic/natural tradition in the late 19th century. The other is psychologist Lisa Archibald, Ph.D., whose work focuses on a better understanding of memory and processes of learning and communication. 

However, those references feel like a stretch for any mixologist working in the Flatiron Lounge around 2010, unless there was some coincidental personal connection.

ARCHIBALD’S LAST MEMORY
2 oz Rye whiskey
½ oz Fernet Branca 
½ oz Benedictine D.O.M.
1 tsp Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
A garnish of orange twist (flaming optional)

In a mixing glass, combine and stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled rocks glass to serve, and garnish with the twist of orange peel. Ice (optional) will temper the alcohol burn if you find it a bit intense. 

About our Cocktail of the Week partners—shop local and independent!
Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor are less than a mile from each other, on Monroe Avenue near Twelve Corners in Brighton.

Cooks’ World, in business since 1978, is Rochester’s premier retailer of dining, kitchen, and cooking products, including a complete selection of glassware, mixology tools, and accessories for wine and spirits lovers. Follow Cooks’ World on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here to receive Cooks’ World’s daily email specials and other news. 

Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, in business since 1997, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of spirits and wine from around the world, with a savvy staff to assist in your selection and encourage you along your cocktail and wine journey. Follow Pinnacle on Facebook and Instagram. For the inside track on Pinnacle’s spirits sales, send two text messages to (585)765-7546:
— Text the word “bourbon,” to receive weekly text messages offering the chance to buy rare or allocated whiskies or special prices on popular products.
—Text the word “spirits,” to receive roughly monthly offers on fine spirits other than whiskies.