Having been born with a sweet tooth, ordering dessert after dinner (and yes, sometimes lunch) was rarely a question. It just was part of the deal. Like popcorn at the movies. So last year during a time where we were always getting a bottle of Branca Menta with our Fernet Branca order, along with a time so many seemed to be doing variations of the "Grasshopper" it only seemed fitting that I give it a whirl and craft a dessert cocktail. And help move through all the Menta! Ha

I was in the process of creating a cocktail menu for an upcoming event I was hosting at my bar, in which I designed the menu to look like a dinner menu. So this was the perfect opportunity for me to add my dessert cocktail, the "Cavalletta." My twist on a "Grasshopper."

Finding some different ingredients to incorporate to get similar and new flavors from the cocktail, making it familiar but still fresh and intriguing. I used coconut milk, spiced rum, and mole bitters to help round out the Branca Menta. Creamy, but not too heavy. Sweet but not in a cloying way. Balanced with multiple layers. And bright with the fresh mint as the garnish sitting atop the cocktail. Hope you enjoy, for I had a lot of fun and requests for this little gem. Cheers

"Cavalletta"

1.25oz Branca Menta

1oz Coconut milk

.75oz El Dorado Spiced Rum

4 drops Bitter End Mexican Mole Bitters

Mint sprig for garnish

Combine all the ingredients (minus the mint) in a shaker. Shake hard. Double strain into a Port or Sherry or small Nick & Nora glass. Top with mint sprig. Serve or drink. Cheers