Lady Finger

This is a kirsh drink that might be named after the thin tea cookies or it might be connected to those Chinese fireworks that go off in a chain explosion. Either way, this is not a very lady-like drink. It calls for wishniak, which is a Russian cordial made from cherry juice and vodka. It also was a flavor of Canada Dry a while back--sort of like a dark cherry ginger ale. I'm sure that this cocktail calls for the former ingredient, though.

So I set out to make an infusion to approximate wishniak. Like many eastern European spirits, it's the kind of thing that people do at home with their vodka anyway. I removed the pits and stems from a cup of Michigan cherries and soaked them in 100-proof vodka for two days. Then I added 1/2 cup tart cherry juice (store-bought and sweetened with apple juice). This gave the mix a juicy but rich cherry flavor. Along with kirsh, you really couldn't tell that the base of this cocktail was gin.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 oz. kirschwasser
• 1 1/2 oz. wishniak

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.