Townsend cocktail nails it with a twist on two classics

The fine cocktails at Townsend are all references to inside jokes. Nail the Dismount, named for one of chef-owner Tod Wentz’s pet phrases during a staff pep talk, has taken its time to vault into finishing form.

“There has to be an end goal in mind when you do cocktail development,” says manager Harry Jamison. “You can’t just start throwing things into the glass.”

The base concept for Nail the Dismount was to straddle two whiskey classics, a sweeter Old Fashioned melded and a vermouth-splashed Manhattan. While this drink roams far from the templates — with rye and Calvados apple brandy combining for the anchor spirits; Cardamaro, the wine-based aperitif infused with cardoon, in lieu of vermouth; Cynar for extra bitterness; and amontillado sherry syrup for nuttiness, sweetness and length — the drink is remarkably harmonious. It has seemingly no edges but plenty of complexity, with all the well-tuned proportions drawn from those classic formulas.

But was it perfect? Perhaps not quite at my first visit, when the initial version was served in a tumbler over a giant rock with the floating plume of a lemon twist By my final visit, though, a few small tweaks had transformed it. Only the expressed mist of lemon oils were included for a lighter, brighter, less pithy citrus touch. More importantly, the big cube was gone (along with its diluting properties) and the drink was served up in a retro Nick & Nora glass. The skinny coupe was still well-chilled, with its bead-frosted glass glowing luminously amber in Townsend’s votive light. The drink also retained its balance as the drink warmed slightly, before it disappeared. You could say that Nailed the Dismount finally nailed it.

— Craig LaBan

Nail the Dismount, $14, Townsend, 2121 Walnut St., 267-639-3203; townsendphl.com