Balm

The Balm is a fairly sophisticated cocktail. Its use of bitters may present a challenge to novice taste buds, but there’s an easy solution: the bitters can be left out for guests who don’t enjoy that flavor. Because the biggest part of a Balm is dry sherry, it’s not terribly sweet even without the bitters.

Balm cocktails make a great aperitif, served alongside olives, cheese and/or crackers. It’s also very nice served with dessert, as long as the dessert you’ve chosen pairs well with orange.

Balm Cocktail

• 3 ounces dry sherry
• 1/4 ounce Cointreau
• 1 dash orange juice
• 2 dashes orange bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with orange, if you want.

I’ve seen variations on this recipe which add a dash or two of Jamaican rum or pimento dram.