Being a fan of local products, like sea clams, gnocchi bread, and Mayflower Ale, I was naturally thrilled when Plymouth got its own distillery, and I waited eagerly for the first spirit to come on the market. 

When I got the word it was here I headed for Water Street where the Dirty Water Distillery is located intent on being the first kid on my block to own a bottle of their new rum.  I set out on foot to buy a bottle, and on my way I stopped at the home of John the Foodie Pilgrim.  I found I'd failed to be the first to have a bottle. He has a gleaming silver bottle of What Knot rum on his kitchen counter. 

We felt an obligation to taste it.  Sipped neat, it had a light complexity and a pleasant hint of sweetness.  These qualities were delicate and became less noticeable when ice was added.  John was in possession of a superannuated lime, which offered no improvement. 

We needed a cocktail that would showcase this new tipple and John began producing ingredients from his impressive collection.  He had Angostura Bitters, Fee Brothers Cherry Bitters, Fee Brothers Chocolate Bitters, Regan's Orange Bitters, and Urban Moonshine Maple Bitters, among others. To identify copacetic bitters for the rum, we sweetened our drinks with simple syrup in the Basic Cocktail style.  Of these the biggest loser was the Fee Brother's Cherry Bitters, which made a drink that reminded me of the taste of Smith Brothers Wild Cherry Cough Drops. 

Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters was the pleasant surprise of the afternoon. Its complexity complemented the delicate sweetness of the rum without overpowering it.  I'm not a fan of candy cocktails, and I assure you that the drink we made has nothing of the sweet shop in its nature. 

Try this:

• 2 oz. What Knot rum
• ½ oz. simple syrup
• 1 dash Fee Brothers Chocolate Bitters. 
• Shake or stir with ice. 
• Serve in a cocktail glass.

You may want to double this recipe and use a large modern martini glass.  Resist the temptation to dust the rim of the glass with cocoa, and please please don't call the drink a chocolatini. It has a slight brown tinge from the bitters, and I honored the Dirty Water Distilling Company by naming it a Dirty Nell.

We were using small glasses as our labors were not at an end.  The research was arduous, but we persevered.

Having identified bitters that complemented the rum, we advanced to the Fancy Cocktail form, replacing the simple syrup with sweet liqueurs likely to play well with the selected bitters and rum.

At last we came up with our candidate for the signature What Knot cocktail - the Knotty Nell.

• 2 oz. What Knot Rum
• ½ oz. Marie Brizard Triple Sec
• 1 dash Urban Moonshine Maple Bitters
• Shake or stir with ice.
• Garnish with a strip of orange rind tied in a knot. 

Whether or not to double the recipe is up to you.  Let your conscience be your guide.