The great Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann passed away this week at the ripe old age of 102 (he must have been doing something right!). In trying to figure out a way to honor his significant contributions to the planet, I decided to create a cocktail dedicated to this inspiring pioneer. Where to start? Well, since the ergot fungus that grows on rye grain played a role in his work, and since I happened to have a bottle of Old Overholt in my bar, I started with a rye whisky base. In doing a little research on rye-based cocktails, I noted that the Sazerac is built on rye, simple syrup, and a bit of absinthe. Now given the Swiss origins and colorful history of absinthe, it clearly warrants a place in the Albert Hofmann, and instead of simple syrup I decided to go with Maraschino liqueur for the sweet component based on how well cherry works as a garnish in the Manhattan. To round things out, I added lemon juice based on how it balances out the rye-based Delmarva Cocktail. A dash of Pechaud’s Bitters serves to add some final complexity and depth. For the garnish, I wanted something exotic and visually vibrant, and had recently spotted kumquats at hour local produce market. I’ve never seen a cocktail garnished with a kumquat, but somehow it just seemed right and worked out splendidly. Outside of his scientific contributions, Hofmann lived a joyful, active, and inquisitive life. He once stated in an interview:

“Through my…experience and my new picture of reality, I became aware of the wonder of creation, the magnificence of nature and of the animal and plant kingdom. I became very sensitive to what will happen to all this and all of us.”

Words to live by. This one’s for you, Albert!

The Albert Hofmann Cocktail

• 1 oz. rye whisky
• 1 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. Absinthe
• Dash Peychaud’s Bitters
• Kumquat sliced in half for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker two-thirds full of ice, shake vigorously, and strain into martini glass with skewered kumquat garnish.