THE COCKTAIL ISSUE

THE MANHATTAN  ( Via Brooklyn )

Manhattan Cocktail with Cherries

James Aponovich

oil on panel, 5" x 5"

During the 1940's my mother lived for a while in New York City. Her favorite cocktail was, fittingly, the Manhattan, Rye Whiskey, Sweet Vermouth, Bitters and of course a cherry. It was and still is a noble drink, strong and balanced. When the war ended and she returned to New England to raise a family she softened quite a bit to the point where once a day she would drink something 

called a "Cape Codder"...hardly a cocktail. It reminds me of the Lobsterman, Dale from Bucks Harbor, Maine, dumping vodka into a Diet Pepsi and looking at me with a grin

 and saying, "My attitude adjuster, deah."

THE CULINARY ASPECTS OF THE COCKTAIL

"After you've made your Manhattan. add a cherry only if you're hungry."

                                          -Brad, Mixologist

"Come on , Brad!" I would bet that most of humanity, when they order a Manhattan and it comes without a cherry? Long faces and deep disappointment! But, really, what for? Most cherries you get are insipid, overly sweet, bland and cute! They are better served as a photo op on an ice cream sundae or in a painting ( like, above). But, there is the real deal out there and I came across it where else, Italy.

THE 'ORIGINAL'  MARASCHINO

That cute little red ball we know as a Maraschino cherry derives from a wild cherry called the Marasca. It grows on the Dalmatian Coast and the Veneto region of northern Italy. It is small, dark and a bit disagreeable but in the right hands it is cultivated into quite something.

Luxardo* Maraschino

* A raising of the glass to Frank W., of The Parker House, Boston.

The cherries are made into a clear liqueur normally sipped after dinner. The Italians also like to wash fresh strawberries with it. Whole cherries are immersed in Marasca syrup, tiny  but intense. This is the cherry for cocktails.

 SBAGLIATO 'BROOKLYN'

THE BROOKLYN MISTAKE

NO, I'm not talking about the Barclay Center, sbagliato is a difficult to pronounce word in Italian that means error............ I have to use it a lot.

As part of my research, I was reading Straight Up Or On The Rocks, The Story of the American Cocktail, by William Grimes, former restaurant critic for the New York Times. Much lore with a splash of confusion. His version of the Manhattan is a 3 to 1 mixture of Whiskey to Vermouth with a dash of bitters...cherry optional!

It was then I came across the Brooklyn cocktail, which includes a dash of Maraschino Liqueur, Yes!

I couldn't wait until 5:00 pm to arrive, however, in my haste and inattentiveness I misread the recipe. It calls for Dry(French) Vermouth , not Red (Italian) Vermouth. "Santo Cielo!" I had already poured red,so waste not, I made a 'Brooklynite' into a Manhattan with Maraschino, I know its a bit over the top but I'm sticking with it. Its a full figure Manhattan.

RECIPES

MANHATTAN ( William Grimes)

1 1/2 oz. Rye or Bourbon

1/4 oz. French (dry) vermouth

1/4 oz. Italian (sweet) Vermouth

1 dash Angostura Bitters

1 Maraschino Cherry (optional)

Shake in ice, pour

BROOKLYN ( Grimes)

2 oz. Rye or Bourbon

1 oz. French (dry) Vermouth

1 dash Angostura Bitters

1 dash Maraschino Liqueur

Shake in ice, pour (no cherry)

THE BROOKLYN SBAGLIATO  (Aponovich)

or if you can't pronounce that

THE 'PLUS SIZE' MANHATTAN

3 parts Bourbon ( I use Woodford Reserve)

1 part Italian (red) Vermouth (Punt e Mes)

1 dash Angostura  Bitters

More than a dash of Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)

2 Maraschino Cherries ( Luxardo)

Shake in ice, shake some more, pour

{week 27}

Copyright 2015 James Aponovich

THE COCKTAIL ISSUE

THE COCKTAIL ISSUE

" I never have more than one drink before dinner, but I do like that one to be very large, very strong, very cold and very well made."

                                                             - James Bond, 007

DARK, DARK, WE ALL GO INTO THE DARK

I write this on the shortest day ( light) of the year, the Winter Solstice. If you are an optimist and your glass is always half full then you can call it the longest evening of the year. If your glass is half empty, its just plain dark. It is at this time of year that we cloak the days with tradition and custom and we call it 'The Holidays', from Thanksgiving to Epiphany ( Jan.6 ) there is a cascade of festivities designed to help us forget how miserable we really are. ( Think of how you feel in June.)

I do know of one way to assuage the misery of darkness....a roaring fire and a great cocktail.

THE (unofficial) ITALIAN NATIONAL COCKTAIL

" Hey Bartender, you got anything stronger?"

                                                                            - Conte Cammillo Negroni, 1919

Negroni Cocktail

James Aponovich

oil on panel,  9" x 6"

Beth and I were beating the streets of Florence with our guests, Tom and Shannon. It was a hot day and since we were near the Via Tournabuoni, we decided to head for Bar Procacci for a glass of prosecco and a tartufatto panini ( truffle sandwich). Of course, it happened

 to be Monday and guess what?....closed!

Tom then noticed a little bar around the corner with outdoor seating. It was there that we discovered the Holy Grail of adult beverages, Caffe Giacosa, the birthplace of the Negroni !

In general, Italians are not big cocktail drinkers. Order a martini and you are likely to get a glass of sweet vermouth ( brand name Martini and Rossi). They are fond of two types
 of liquor: an apertivo ( before dinner) and a digestivo (after dinner). One of the most popular apertivo is from Milan. It is distilled from rhubarb and herbs and it is quite red, its name is Campari. By itself, Campari is fairly bitter, so it is customarily diluted with soda water, add a little sweet vermouth for balance and it becomes an Americano.

Legend has it that in 1919, a Count Cammillo Negroni went to the Bar Casoni ( now called the Caffe Giacosa) and ordered an Americano, but he was not satisfied, and wanted 'something' added to it. He had  had a tough day and he needed a 'stiffer' drink. The bartender, Fosco Scarselli , thought for a moment and added a shot of English gin and in honor of the count, called the drink a Negroni. It was an instant hit. With time the soda water went away and it has become an Italian classic.

THE NEGRONI

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. sweet vermouth

1 oz. gin

Shake with ice and serve cold with an orange peel as garnish.

Salute!
Felice Anno Nuovo!

PS. Add the soda water back and it reverts to the original, the Italians call it a "long drink".

PPS.  I must confess.......I drank the still life.

{week 18}

Copyright 2014 James Aponovich