Our friends Snappy and Grey came over for dinner last night, and when it came to cocktails we were totally Off the Grid (yep, that's my new tag for those times when we abandon the Guide for a bit). Snappy commented a few days ago that she'd be game for trying one of our house made FIG Thistle Flowers, and we were all over that. Commenting pays off!
So we stirred up a batch, and everyone agreed that it's a cocktail to savor. It's an excellent mash-up of complex flavors, with a not-too-bitter caramel herbaceous bite and (as Grey pointed out) with no harsh alcohol taste pushing through. Outstanding! And we absolutely would have had another, if only I hadn't polished off the Tanqueray while making the first round.
Of course, if the genius of the Negroni is its simplicity (equal parts of something sweet, something bitter, and something gin), the genius of DP is his ability to think ahead. When placing our DrinkUpNY order last week, he included both Plymouth Gin and Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth.
The Plymouth (very floral) was featured in the Rhubarb Negroni I'd had at FIG. The Carpano ("a special aperitif for its flavour of vanilla with notes of spices and dried fruit, dates and orange rind") is the Fratelli Branca vermouth used in FIG's classic Negroni. And, speaking of the Branca family, DP thought that Fernet Branca ("black licorice-flavored Listerine" according to Nate Cavalieri) would work well as the bitter component.
Of course, if the genius of the Negroni is its simplicity (equal parts of something sweet, something bitter, and something gin), the genius of DP is his ability to think ahead. When placing our DrinkUpNY order last week, he included both Plymouth Gin and Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth.
The Plymouth (very floral) was featured in the Rhubarb Negroni I'd had at FIG. The Carpano ("a special aperitif for its flavour of vanilla with notes of spices and dried fruit, dates and orange rind") is the Fratelli Branca vermouth used in FIG's classic Negroni. And, speaking of the Branca family, DP thought that Fernet Branca ("black licorice-flavored Listerine" according to Nate Cavalieri) would work well as the bitter component.
We stirred up a round of what I'll call our Branca Negroni, a heavily perfumed and nicely bitter cocktail with a distinctive mint note at the end of each sip. Could be an acquired taste. And not, in the end, as good as a Thistle Flower. But the Carpano Antica Formula vermouth was a huge hit. We did some Carpano tasting independent of the Negroni, and Snappy stated that this is a vermouth that can stand on its own. I agree, although I'll be looking forward to using it to build more Negronis in the future!
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