Grand Street (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

This cocktail is the perfect mash up between a Martinez and a Negroni. If it sounds like that would be a mouthful of bitterness, it is. But I would say that it is the most pleasing thing made with gin an amari that I've had lately, and that includes a few Negroni variations. Part of it is the intensity and part of it is the way the grapefruit twist leaves a lovely scent on the surface that leaves you ill prepared for what lies beneath.

Punt E Mes is a wine-based apartivo that is like the most bitter form of vermouth you can get. It is super rich. Cynar 70 is the more intense version of the bitter artichoke liqueur, and Luxardo, while lifting in its almond-like maraschino notes, is pretty bitter despite its sugar content. Blend these three things in a rich Martini and you have the Grand Street--an homage to the pretty New York street.

• 1 grapefruit twist
• 2 oz. dry gin (MurLarkey ImaGination used)
• 3/4 oz. Punt E Mes
• 1/4 oz. Cynar
• 1 tsp. Luxardo maraschino

Muddle the grapefruit twist in a mixing glass before adding liquid ingredients. Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.

Augie March (Death & Co.)

Aged tequila can really make for an interesting take on a Manhattan. While it doesn't taste much like rye, a tequila Manhattan gets a lot of help from Cynar's bitter herbaceous notes. After all, Manhattans are as much about vermouth as they are whiskey, and bitter amaro and bitter vermouth pair exceedingly well with bitter tequila like el Jimador. After a few sips, you forget there is tequila in your glass--which is a cool trick, but let's just say this is not a drink to enjoy with tacos. It is clearly an aperitif, or you can end your meal with it just like you would do with your typical Manhattan.

• 2 oz. reposado (el Jimador anejo used)
• 3/4 oz. Antica Formula vermouth (Cocchi Dopo Teatro used)
• 1/2 oz. Cynar
• 1 brandied cherry garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the cherry. 

Stringer Bell (Death & Co. Recipe)

Anytime there is celery juice in a citrus cocktail, it is a little weird but almost always in a good way. This is the case with the Stringer Bell. There's rich Amontillado as the nutty base of this cocktail, but lime and spicy tequila provide acid and heat to cut through that. Celery juice is surprisingly bitter and that is helped along with Cynar--so now there's celery and artichoke in a sherry cocktail, right? It's almost too strange to believe. A generous helping of cane sugar and a pinch of kosher salt brings this cocktail back from the brink and helps you experience it as sort of a bitter and spicy Margarita (more Spanish than Mexican) and a lot of fun to serve people without telling them what's in it first. 

• 1 12 oz. Amontillado sherry (Alexandro used)
• 1/2 oz. jalapeno-infused tequila (Sauza used)
• 1/4 oz. Cynar (Cynar 70-proof used)
• 1/2 oz. celery juice
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 oz. cane sugar syrup
• pinch koshur salt
• celery stick garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned glass with a large format ice cube. Garnish with the celery stick. 

 

Le Bateleur (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

The smaller, black eagle known as the Bateleur is a great name for a drink. While the dark spirits like Cynar in this cocktail aren't exactly black, they are almost the components in a Black Negroni (whatever your recipe for that mysterious drink happen to be.)

For once I didn't have to alter this recipe to make it with my limited budget and bar space. I was happy to make this Death & Co. Recipe with Cynar 70-proof and Citadelle gin--two powerfully flavored and potent spirits. Strega is the sweetener for Bateleur, but it also adds herbal notes like mint and saffron to the already sturdy underbelly of this cocktail. The recipe calls for Punt E Mes, but I ended up going with Cocchi's version of the gentian-infused vermouth known for its bitter base. 

Just like the smaller African eagle, this drink is easily to underestimate but unforgettable. 

• 2 oz. dry gin (Citadelle used)
• 3/4 oz. Punt E Mes (Cocchi Dopo Teatro used)
• 1/2 oz. Strega
  
• 1/4 oz. Cynar (Cynar 70-proof)
•  1 dash Angostura bitters
  
• orange twist garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange twist. 

Yeoman Warder (Death & Co. Recipe)

A yeoman was a master woodsman, leader of the hunt and a skilled fighter with a yew bow. Picture Robin Hood in green garb standing around in the woods. With all the herbaceous flavors going on in this cocktail, you can taste that medieval trope right in the glass.

I picked up a bottle of Cynar 70-proof to make this drink, and I find that this new release of Cynar is even more flavorful than the original artichoke amaro. I don't know if that is because more flavor can be packed into an infusion of botanicals when the proof is higher, or it is just a more intense formulation. Either way, a little Cynar 70-proof goes a long way.

In addition to the vegetable notes of artichoke in the Cynar, I used my homemade gin that has asparagus as one of the botanicals. You notice it, but not as much as the spice and bitterness. Overall I'd say this drink is intense with all flavors dialed up to the max. Despite that, sweet and bitter, tart and spice, are all balanced and contribute to an enjoyable sip.

• 2 oz. dry gin (homemade gin with asparagus botanical used)
• 3/4 oz. Dolin dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Cynar (70-proof used)
• 1/4 oz. Luxardo maraschino 

 Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe glass.