Citrus zest over old wood. Late winter, somewhere small.
The bergamot is the cocktail's expressed peel — don't drop it below twelve. Cypress at seven is the quiet wood. The patchouli at seven is the leather; lower and the room feels empty, higher and it becomes a question.
Eldridge Street, Lower East Side, winter 2010, back when you had to know the number. A gin cocktail with friends, the bartender expressing a peel, wet coats on the backs of chairs. The room was small and slightly damp and you didn't want to leave.