A dear friend asked that I pick out a “signature cocktail” for her wedding… She’s allergic to gin, so that ruled out a whole bevy of interesting candidates. The wedding is in August, so I felt whiskey was probably too heavy. Vodka – meh… So I thought about rum… I looked at the classic rum drinks, the tiki cocktails and a few new recipes, but nothing excited… What could it be, I thought?

Exercising my best chemistry, I began to experiment… Without too many dumps, I came up with a really tasty, quite exotic libation, rum-based with ingredients that are generally available on a well-stocked bar.

Because this is her second marriage, I felt the title apropos: Another Chance. This was also one of my favorite Dunkirk Affair songs, which was about love’s second chance… Dunkirk Affair was my band in college…

My friends, from the shaker of Paul Malagrifa, I present Another Chance:

2oz. Cane 100 Rum

1/2oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur

1/2oz. Fresh Lime Juice

1/2oz. Simple Syrup

1/2oz. Honey Syrup

1/4oz. Blackberry Liqueur

2 dashes Cardamon bitters

Shake the ingredients with crushed ice, vigorously. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a blackberry and Luxardo Maraschino cherry.

Enjoy!