The Sazerac is the starting point: whiskey, sugar, bitters, absinthe. The Targeter trades some of that New Orleans warmth for a darker, more precise profile.

Ingredients

• 2 oz bourbon, preferably 90–100 proof
• ¼ oz Amaro Montenegro
• 1 bar spoon demerara syrup
• 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• 1 dash black walnut bitters
• Absinthe, for rinsing the glass
• 1 lemon peel

Method

1. Chill a rocks glass thoroughly.
2. Add a small amount of absinthe, rotate to coat the interior, then discard the excess.
3. In a mixing glass, combine bourbon, Montenegro, demerara, Peychaud's, and black walnut bitters.
4. Add ice and stir until cold and properly diluted.
5. Strain neat into the absinthe-rinsed glass.
6. Express a lemon peel aggressively over the surface.
7. Rub the peel around the rim and discard it rather than dropping it into the drink.

What It Tastes Like

The first impression is unmistakably Sazerac: lemon oil, anise, whiskey, Peychaud's.

Then it moves.

Montenegro introduces orange, herbs, and a slightly floral bitterness. Black walnut gives the bourbon a darker, dry, almost woody finish. Demerara keeps the drink connected to the Sazerac without making it syrupy.

I'd specifically serve it without ice. The Case Officer gets the big cube and evolves over a conversation. The Targeter arrives already dialed in.

The Concept

There's also a nice thematic distinction between the two:

The Case Officer is about relationships: warm bourbon, honeyed Bénédictine, sherry, chocolate, orange.

The Targeter is about patterns: bourbon, bitter herbs, walnut, anise, lemon.

One works the room. The other watches it.

Glass: Chilled rocks
Strength: Very spirit-forward
Profile: Bourbon • anise • bitter orange • walnut • lemon
Garnish: Lemon oil, peel discarded
Best bourbon: Wild Turkey 101, Old Forester 100, Knob Creek 9, or Four Roses Single Barrel

And importantly, sitting next to The Case Officer on a cocktail menu, these feel like members of the same family without tasting like variations of the same drink.