I love gin. Now, gin is not something whose taste appeals to everyone right away--it's somewhat acquired, and it needs to be done right. But when it is done right, it adds a dimension to cocktails to which no vodka could ever come close. With the obvious exception of the bloody mary, vodka does not touch Dr. Becca's lips. It does not please me.
Anyway, all that ginny tweeting made me thirsty, and so I decided to make one of my absolute favorite gin cocktails--the Archangel. Fittingly, the Archangel was invented by one of my favorite bartenders in all the city, Richie Boccato--formerly of Milk & Honey, currently proprietor of Dutch Kills and Painkiller. This man is quality through and through.
The Archangel is so elegant and so delicious, there is almost no pre-dinner cocktail I prefer. It is light and crisp and only a tiny bit sweet, and it only contains alcohol, so to those of you who are used to taking your gin with 3 parts tonic, watch out.
You will need the following:
a few slices of cucumber (seedless is best)
gin
Aperol
lemon twist
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Aperol is an aperitif that's similar to Campari, but far less bitter and less alcoholic. It is a more delicate Campari, which is important since we're dealing with delicate flavors here. Some of you might scoff at my choice of gin here, but I actually like the taste of Beefeater better than that of Tanqueray and Bombay Sapphire--it's cleaner. Hendrick's is for special occasions and martinis only, until I am rich.
So. Take your pint glass and put the cucumbers in. Give them a couple of punches with a muddler or spoon, but don't pulverize them. You just want to...loosen them up a little. Put in a ton of ice, and then add 2.5 oz gin and 1 oz Aperol. There should be so much ice that it sticks up above the level of the liquid, comme ça:
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I have no idea why this isn't centering like it's supposed to. Stick in a long spoon, let it all sit for a minute, and then stir for at least another minute. OK, 30 seconds should be fine. You want it to be really cold, though!
Twist your lemon twist so that the oils start to ooze out of the skin. Drop it in the martini glass, and strain the contents of the pint glass on top of that. When you look closely, you should be able to see the lemon oil floating on the surface. Enjoy!!!
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Oh, and feel free to munch on the gin-and-Aperol-soaked cucumbers from your pint glass. They're delicious!!
*This is also for Genomic Repairman, who had a shitty day.
10 comments:
Mmmmmm... yes please!!!
I've become a big fan of Aperol. However, we usually do it sekt (sparkling wine) on the rocks and in the sun.
:)
Maybe I'll have one with lunch :)
Mmm, gin! I'm also not a fan of vodka (aside from the blood mary exception). My current favorite cocktail is the creation of a local bartender: Plymouth gin, Chartreuse, Swedish Punsch, black pepper. It's divine.
You really should do this one with Hendricks, given the cucumber and citrus.
Fair enough, CPP. But like I said--when I'm rich.
Okay, you've twisted my arm - totally making this one tonight. Thanks for the tip! And great blog by the way, count me in as a regular :-)
Welcome, Dr Cynicism! I'm mostly blogging at LabSpaces these days (see link in the sidebar), so be sure to pop in there once in a while too, if you like me as much as you say you do :)
This one's for the ladies? Great, not only do I not own the liquor for this drink, but I'm emasculated if I buy it. Thanks, Dr. Becca! Damn you and your delicious cocktails! (The Bijou was awesome).
@MIke, no, you can totally drink the Archangel and still be a dude! It was just the ladies that inspired me to put the recipe up.
And I'm so glad you liked the Bijou! It really should be a staple in any home bartender's arsenal.
I am a bit of pleb wrt alcohol, but I am learning.
I am still unsure about gin. I had been avoiding, it, but now I am thinking I may need to rethink this.
I recently had a drink with Hendricks, pomogranate and lychee liquors, and some citrus. It was... interesting. Not so good at first, but it really grew on me.
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