Flannel Factor

We can’t talk about fashion in the ’90s without talking about grunge, and we can’t talk about grunge without talking about flannel. The fabric was everywhere: movies, bed sheets, pajama pants given out at bar/bat mitzvahs…but no form of flannel was more popular than that of the flannel shirt. If you threw one on—maybe unbuttoned with a T-shirt underneath or maybe tied around your waist—and put your feet in a pair of Dr. Martens, you’d give off an air of ambivalence and effortlessness that pervaded the zeitgeist. You didn’t want to look like you tried too hard, but people still wanted to look put together. You wanted to look like Jared Leto in My So-Called Life. The flannel shirt gave—hell, still gives—a perfect blend of comfort and ruggedness, and just enough formality to look good while still acting “whatever.”

The most indelible expression of ’90s flannel—to me at least—is the classic red-and-black Buffalo Plaid flannel shirt. It had the right balance of moody and vibrant, not unlike this drink. The barrel-aged spirits offer a brooding depth, balanced by the acidity (and caffeine) from the cold brew concentrate, rounded out by some confectionary notes from the amaretto. Topped with Luxardo cherries, this cocktail shows up to the party on time but never looks like it’s trying too hard.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Saved by the Bellini' by John deBary. Buy the full book on Amazon.