Mixing Up the Left Coast, week 2

This week we are exploring the mixology of Neyah White out of San Francisco, from Left Coast Libations by Tim Munat. Again, we were lucky that we had most of the ingredients in our home bar. We learned a thing or two about Sherry and Fernet Branca from this adventure and they’re now items we will continue to use and enjoy.

606

1 ½ oz genever gin

½ oz sweet vermouth
½ oz Fernet Branca

orange twist (garnish)

Stir all ingredients gently with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

The first time we tried this cocktail we went with Genevieve genever and Dolin Rouge vermouth. We found the aroma to have a rich spiciness with a kick of orange. The flavor was complex. There was a flash of sweetness in the beginning leading to a bitter botanical flavor. The Fernet’s boldness then trails into a loamy juniper flavor that has a long lingering finish. It is delightfully multifaceted and created an intriguing and intellectual conversation in seeking out all the layers.

We decided to try this recipe again but this time with Boomsma Oude genever. The aroma was lighter in its spiciness and had a stronger orange scent. The color was also better since Boomsma is naturally straw colored. The genever was more present in the aroma with a woodsy-ness that was very interesting. The flavor was more Fernet forward with an almost minty eucalyptus-ness that was slightly bitter. This was a much more balanced drink throughout. Lots of other flavors step forward because of the aged genever. We found it to be mellower and more enjoyable this way.

Old Bill

1 oz oloroso sherry

½ oz maraschino liqueur

½ oz aged rum

3 dashes orange bitters

Stir all ingredients gently with ice and strain into a small wine glass.

We used Solera 1842 Oloroso VOS Sherry, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur and Zacappa XO in both cocktails we made using this recipe. The first time we made it the aroma was very sweet, a little spiciness from the sherry was present but the maraschino seemed to overwhelm the drink. As sweet as it was, this felt like a desert drink.

The second time we made this cocktail we decided to reduce the maraschino by ¼ oz. The aroma was much the same, but the spiciness of the sherry was more present. The flavor was much more balanced. We really got a sense of the complexity of the rum and the spiciness of the sherry. Also, there are more orange notes from the bitters when the maraschino isn’t so forward. This way, it seems like this cocktail isn’t just an after dinner drink.