Monday, June 20, 2011

rojo bianco

2 oz Reposado Tequila (Espolon)
3/4 oz Bianco Vermouth (Dolin Blanc) (*)
1/4 oz Campari
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
(*) Please note that the book has the recipe as 1/4 oz Bianco Vermouth. After mixing the drink with that amount, I discovered through the A Dash of Bitters blog that the book's recipe is incorrect and the intended volume is 3/4 oz.

After returning home from Eastern Standard, Andrea and I were in the mood for a nightcap, so I found the Rojo Bianco in Food & Wines: Cocktails 2008. The drink was created by Death & Co.'s Phil Ward as a tequila-based Brooklyn variation. Instead of Amer Picon and dry vermouth, Phil substituted Campari and bianco vermouth, respectively.
The Rojo Bianco presented a Campari aroma that had hints of agave and fruitiness to it. The sip was sweet and full bodied from the Maraschino and bianco vermouth, and the swallow contained the Campari's bitter flavors followed by the funky and fruity notes of the Maraschino. The tequila flavors appeared in the background especially on the swallow where it complemented the Campari. As the drink warmed up, the tequila notes came more to the forefront in addition to the overall balance became a little sharper; perhaps with the correct amount of bianco vermouth, the drink would be a bit more mellow. While the Campari was no Amer Picon, it did seem to pair up better with the tequila than Amer Picon did in the Jayco.

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