Friday, January 22, 2016

italian stallion

1 oz Aperol
3/4 oz Avèze Gentian Liqueur
3/4 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Passion Fruit Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a Collins glass containing 2 oz soda water. Fill with ice cubes, add a straw, and garnish with an orange twist.
In needing to revamp the Loyal Nine cocktail menu, I looked to turn over one of the senior members of the "low octane" section of the menu. One of the thoughts was to riff on Michael McIlroy's low proof Rome With a View. Given that we have an abundance of Avèze gentian liqueur, I wanted to include that especially after having tried the Vatican City riff of that neo-classic. Another drink that came to mind for a flavor combination was the Square Root in pairing Aperol, gentian, and citrus. Given how well passion fruit works with bitter liqueurs, I considered taking things in a tropical direction especially when considering Mother of Turin and Rome with a Slight View. Finally, the name Italian Stallion came up from thinking about Rome and Italian themes, and a kitchy movie title seemed apropos. Overall, the drink's appearance and balance is a complex orange soda albeit one with herbal and tropical flavors in the mix.

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