The Negroni

Whilst meditatively strolling through the orchard of his life, Joe stops once again at the the legendary Tree of Classic Cocktails. After considerable scrutiny, (and, being a giant of a man, no need for a stepladder,) he cautiously reaches up into its branches picks the next offering for The Greatest Drink In The World... This Week; The Negroni.

The Recipe:

Mix straight into an ice-filled glass:

- a 2 count gin

- a 2 count Campari

- 1.5 count sweet vermouth

- Stir. Add a small slice of fresh orange.

(It can also be shaken and served as a Martini.)

Joe's Notes: The Negroni is a definitely a drink that will surprise and delight you. The combination of gin with the sweetness of vermouth is balanced with the bitter taste of Campari. I have heard it said that Campari is an acquired taste. Although I would somewhat agree with that, I believe that for many people the fact that Campari with its vibrant red color fools them into believing that it is going to be a sweet drink. After all, most red things, strawberries, grenadine and the such, are sweet.

Many years ago when I was just a lad, Campari had huge success in an advertising campaign in England. The adverts premise was of a beautiful young lady (Lorraine Chase) sitting in the grounds of an English manor house. She is being woo'd by a very posh and upper class young man. "Have you truly been wafted here from paradise" He asks." Nah, Luton Airport!" she replies in a very strong working-class cockney accent.

Campari Luton Airpor..
Watch the ad...

These three words boosted sales of Campari in the UK as well as making a "star" of Miss Chase, which, by the way, she still enjoys some thirty years later.

Why, you may ask yourself, should this have such an impact? I believe the answer to this lies in the fact that we can all have two sides to our personality. I don't mean this in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or the 'crazy person-on-the-bus' way. I mean it more in the Mr. Miyagi and Yin and Yang way. We like to be surprised, we like to know what to expect. The success of the movie "The Sixth Sense" was down to the surprise ending. (I won't give away the ending for those three people that haven't yet seen it.)

Similarly, we know the ending to any romantic comedy featuring the lovely Meg Ryan even before the movie has even started. Yet many are still very successful. (Largely due to my wife and her friends.)

The couple sitting on Oprah's couch telling their success of sixty years of marriage. "He is reliable, I know what he is going to say even before he says it sometimes" The audience laughs a knowing laugh." "She is a great cook and still a great lover," the audience stifle a gag, but applaud anyway. "He can still surprise me even after sixty years!" To this the audience give the loudest applause (although many are hoping she is not referring to the whole "lover" thing.)

So sit back and get your bartender to mix you a Negroni and contemplate the Yin and Yang in your life.

Enjoy

Chris's Notes: According to Wikipedia, the biggest truck-stop on the information superhighway, the Negroni was created by bartender Fosco Scarselli in 1919. He came up with it, (and it subsequently named it,) for Italian Count Camillo Negroni, who was looking to strengthen up his favorite drink, The Americano, (Bitters, vermouth, and soda,) which Fosco did by adding gin. Count Negroni dug it so much he ordered it exclusively and his family-owned distillery soon after produced a ready-made version of the drink, called Antico Negroni.

The cheek! Meanwhile, what did poor Fosco Scarselli get? "Avvitato!"

But it was none other than the great Orson Welles who is credited with one of the first reports of the cocktail in 1947. To the Coshocton Tribune he described the this "new drink," The Negroni, by saying, "The Bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other!"

So deep. That guy probably could have started a blog of his own!!!

Cin cin, Signor Welles!

Token "Only Somewhat Related Video:" Luton Airport by Cats U.K.

The Bombay Sapphire Martini

That's it! I have officially lost control of this blog. Joe informs me that this week we are doing HIS favorite drink, and that is that.

What am I to do? Mix my own? I had no choice but to put my trust, once again, in Joe's alchemical prowess in the manipulation of spirits.

In retrospect, I believe I chose wisely.

The Recipe:

While chilling a large martini glass, into a cocktail full of ice, add:

- a 7 count, (yes, I said SEVEN,) of Bombay Sapphire Gin

- a 0.02 count, (give or take a drop,) of dry vermouth,

- stir emphatically with a bar spoon,

- Strain into the now chilled Martini glass,

- garnish with a twist of lemon.

Recipe by Joe the Bartender, Passage to India Restaurant, Salem, MA

Joe the Bartender's notes: A question I am often asked is "What do you drink when you go out". The short answer is a 'Bombay Sapphire Martini, straight up with a twist.'

But like most of my answers to simple questions, I also have a multifaceted answer, (otherwise known as ramblings.)

To understand how I got to a BSMSUW/T I, like Darwin, need to examine the origins of my personal evolution of drinking.

Just as ape first climbed down from the trees, my early days where very basic and consisted of drinking cheap draught beer at my local pub.

The next step in the evolution process was "finding a mate." I realized that this was not going to be achieved by hanging out in the pub and playing darts with my buddies. So, putting on my glad rags I ventured forth to the more trendy bars and nightclubs. Drinking at these establishments was akin to a mating ritual as depicted in an edition of National Geographic:

"The male of the species first orders a bottled beer. Czech, German or French are acceptable selections. He always drinks straight from the bottle. In this fashion he is presenting the label in a display of sophistication. The aim is to attract a female of the species impressed by his selection and taste. It says: "Look at me! I drink expensive beer beer from exotic places, and I will share my money and sophistication with you!"

(Incidentally, as good as this sounds on paper, it is possible that someone forgot to tell the women , as it didn't really seem to work.)

The next step in the evolution process was the wine bars. The early 80's in London was a time of great excess. Everyone seemed to have money, and easy money is easily spent. I spent the next couple of years either working or drinking in these establishments. (For those unfamiliar with wine bars, they were bars that primarily sold wine and champagne. You sat with friends and quaffed huge quantities of either French, Spanish, German or Italian wines. Everyone was called "darling," everyone was an aspiring sommelier and everyone ordered bottle upon bottle of wine.) Eventually the whole pretense became somewhat tacky.

Turning my back on the wine bars, the next reasonable step was towards membership to CAMRA. That is the UK's campaign for real ale. Otherwise known by Americans as that flat warm beer that English people drink. At this point you should google "CAMRA."

but please remember to come back...

Welcome back!

Somewhere along this time line, I noticed that I had acquired a wife. This made me part of a couple. As a couple we started going to dinner parties. What drink you brought with you said a lot about you as a couple. a bottle of wine was usually accompanied by some Aquavit, white port, ouzo or cherry herring. If your offering was brought back from a recent trip with a story attached, even better. I remember one dinner party where a young lady produced a case of wine she had received from her very own vineyard in Alsace, a wedding gift from her father. Although the wine wasn't very good, this offering could not really be topped.

I feel now that I have reached the pinnacle of my evolution. I am at an age where I can order a proper martini without seeming pretentious. (You really do have to be at least out of your twenties.) And this is how I like my martini. Bombay Sapphire, straight up, with a twist.

Will I evolve further? If so where? Or will I start to slide back down the ladder ending in a barrel of cheap draft beer.

Chris the Barfly's notes: My experiences with this drink are far less autobiographical than Joe's. In fact, I have only had the one, (that he forced upon me!) so, in this section, (known as the brief section, from now on!) I will give my impressions of this cocktail based solely on my limited exposure to it. I hope it suffices.

Well, despite the fact that this cocktail is, for all intents and purposes, straight gin, it is surprisingly smooth. Where most virtually undiluted spirits of such a proof are generally sippers, (or shots!) this drink had me taking larger mouthfuls, just to get the full taste of the gin all over my palate. This is most certainly due to the smoothness of the Bombay Sapphire, backing up all the claims that Joe has made regarding this particular brand. I truly enjoyed this martini and and will never again doubt Joe's judgement.

I learned that this blog is not about control, and who has or doesn't have it, but in the ancient and revered symbiotic relationship of mixologist and thirsty patron, trust is the key.

Trust me.

Maker's Mark Manhattan

Going a little 'Old School' this week, and breaking out one of the classic cocktails; The Manhattan.

The Maker’s Mark Manhattan, to be specific.

The Recipe:

Into a cocktail shaker full of ice, add:

- A 6 count of Maker’s Mark Bourbon

- A 2 count sweet vermouth

- A “dash" of Angostura Bitters

- Stir, (Don’t shake!)

- Strain into a large martini glass

- Garnish with 2 Maraschino cherries

Recipe by Joe the Bartender, Passage to India Restaurant, Salem, MA

Joe the Bartender's notes: It is claimed that the Manhattan was first served to Winston Churchill's mother at New York City's Manhattan Club in 1874.

The original Manhattan was made with America rye whiskey. However, during Prohibition, rye whiskey became very difficult to get hold of, and so Canadian whiskey was used. At the end of Prohibition , it was decided, (by whom I don't know,) that American whiskey should again be used for this American drink. Unfortunately, the production of rye whiskey is a slow process which requires a very long aging process. The bourbon distilleries where able to get back on track much faster, hence the replacement of bourbon for rye.

I know some of you purists out there will not agree with my choice of Bourbon, but what the hell this is about what I like.

I have just returned from a trip with some like-minded bartender friends from a Rodeo in Fort Worth Texas.

After a day of having our senses abused by the smell of horse #@*! and being surrounded by some very large and noisy Texans, we went in search of some more comfortable surroundings, ie. a bar. On entering said establishment we ambled up to the bar to see what was on offer. One of my colleagues spotted a bottle of Makers Mark. After some instruction, the young cowgirl barkeep was able to produce a rather splendid MM Manhattan. We spent the rest of the evening consuming rather a large quantity of these, as well as plates of some indistinguishable meat. I believe there was some interaction with a mechanical bull at some stage of the evening, but after all those fabulous Manhattans, it all becomes rather a blur.

Yea haw!

Chris the Barfly's notes: Without the contrasting benefit of Texans, cowgirls or bulls, mechanical or otherwise, I was presented with this classic and venerable cocktail by Joe.

My first impression was that this is surely not for nuns, teetotalers or kiddies. The Maker's Manhattan has all its burrs; unsanded or smoothed, and is a cocktail requiring a somewhat more seasoned palate. Made famous by Ol’ Blue Eyes and his Rat Pack, The Manhattan became the symbol of style and among the most famous of cocktails.

Now, I have never visited those smoky New York hang-outs of Frankie, Sammy, Dino, and the boys, but one can't help feeling a bit more sophisticated with this little bowl of bravado soup at one's side. It was about mid-way through it, I found myself wishing that I had this with a cigar. Perhaps a nice Cuban, sitting in a plush wing-backed chair in front of a fire. Because that is what this drink does; Makes you feel warm inside and give you a feeling of being spoiled by simple pleasures.

No wonder Frankie and his gang drank them.