Thursday, February 28, 2013

basilica cocktail.

1 oz Cocchi Americano
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Suze (Salers Gentiane Liqueur)
1/2 oz Campari
1 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Build in an Old Fashioned Glass, add a large ice cube, and stir. Garnish with an orange twist.

For Valentine's Day two weeks ago, I decided to make a drink I spotted in Josh Childs' column in Boston.com. He pitted Heather Mojer of Hungry Mother against her boyfriend Evan Harrison now of Highland Kitchen to see who could come up with a better drink for the holiday. Since we lacked the strawberry-infused Tequila Por Mi Amante to make Heather's, I decided to give Evan's Basilica Cocktail a go. Evan based his drink off of the Old Hickory, a cocktail he prefers on date nights since the low alcohol of an aperitif-style libation keeps him in his game, but the drink still looks like a stiff drink. The other connection to Valentine's Day was the reddish hue of the drink.
valentine's day cocktail evan harrison highland kitchen somerville ma
The twist's orange oils worked well with the Campari's aroma. The Basilica offered a surprisingly thick mouthfeel to the grape sip, and this was followed by a citrusy gentian and Campari swallow. Overall, the drink was pleasantly light but still plenty complex.

No comments: