You can't get much simpler than this classic wine cocktail that dates to the late 1800s. And depending on your palate, you may wish to tinker with the ratios, especially when you use a spice bomb vermouth like Carpano Antica (in which case you may want to dial back the amount of vermouth).
If you can, chill the sherry and vermouth in advance to cut down on mixing time and avoid over-dilution.
Adonis
Ice
2 dashes orange bitters
1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
1 1/2 ounces dry sherry, preferably chilled
Twist of orange peel, for garnish
Chill a cocktail coupe.
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add the bitters, vermouth and sherry and stir briefly to chill.
Strain into the chilled coupe. Twist the orange peel over the surface of the drink to express the oils, then drop it into the glass.
Makes 1 drink.
Adapted from The Art of the Shim by Dinah Sanders (Sanders & Gratz, 2013)
The lushness of tawny port finds a strong partner in a smoke-laced mezcal.
Gran Classico Bitter is a lovely addition to any liqueur library, but if you don't have it, try substituting 1/2 ounce of Campari and add 1 teaspoon of dry curacao.
This bittersweet cocktail can also be batched and served as a punch; simply multiply the ingredients for the number of servings you need and serve in a punch bowl with a block of ice and orange wheels for garnish.
Bitter Harbor
1 large ice cube, plus ice for mixing
2 ounces tawny port
1 ounce mezcal
1/2 ounce Gran Classico Bitter liqueur OR 1/2 ounce Campari PLUS 1 teaspoon dry curacao
Twist of orange peel, for garnish
Put the ice cube in a rocks glass.
Fill a mixing glass with ice, then add the port, mezcal and liqueur; stir briefly to chill.
Strain into the glass. Twist the orange peel over the surface of the drink to express the oils, then drop it into the glass.
Makes 1 drink.
Oude-style genever has malty notes that work well in this drink, but you could substitute an Old Tom gin.
Velvet Falernum is a citrus and clove liqueur that, with the spices in the Angostura, gives this vermouth-based drink an autumnal edge. Use a good dry vermouth (such as Dolin or Ransom), and if you can, chill the vermouth in advance to cut down on mixing time and avoid over-dilution.
Shoulder Season
Ice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 1/2 ounces dry vermouth
1 ounce oude genever (may substitute Old Tom gin)
3/4 ounce pear liqueur, such as Mathilde
1/4 ounce Velvet Falernum or other falernum
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Chill a cocktail coupe.
Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add the bitters, vermouth, genever, pear liqueur and falernum and stir briefly to chill.
Strain into the coupe and sprinkle a little nutmeg over the surface.
Makes 1 drink.
Food on 12/13/2017