It’s always a treat to discuss one of Kagen Sound’s fine boxes. His creations achieve the pinnacle of quality and beauty and can be admired for their form alone as objects of art. Yet they contain delightful, logical, and often mesmerizing movement within them, to actualize their purpose, and “open”. His Diamond Box is a masterpiece of form and function. When it opens, the black diamond on the lid transforms to a vibrant pink.

To toast this sound creation I present the Ruby Diamond, a cocktail created by Matt Ducker, a food and lifestyle multimedia editor and columnist, which combines two unlikely allies – gin and mezcal. Classic cocktail contain a single “base spirit” – such as gin in your Martini, or rye whiskey in your Manhattan. Modern mixologists began to combine base spirits in a single drink a while back, producing interesting and unusual results. Some combinations work better than others, and some just seem like a bad idea – at least in theory. Gin and Mezcal, surprisingly, work incredibly well together, creating complex layers of flavorful interplay. The drink is essentially a sour with these unusual base spirits, plus a healthy dose of Italian Amaro to make things truly interesting. Ducker’s recipe calls for Cappelletti, similar to Campari but less sweet, and I used Meletti, again like Camapari but more complex with added flavors of grapefruit and saffron. The drink is delicious – a diamond in the rough.

Ruby Diamond by Matt Ducker

1 ½ ounces gin

1 ½ ounces mezcal

¾ ounce Cappelletti (I used Meletti)

¾ ounce fresh lemon juice

¼ ounce fresh orange juice

Shake ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Garnish with with a diamond shaped lemon peel.

For more about the brilliant Diamond Box see:

Boxes and Booze: Diamond Sounds