The intersection of the food and drink worlds is a well-trafficked one, yet even still, some things—like molecular gastronomy’s penchant for foam and oat milk’s place on the coffee counter—manage to find their way behind the bar in new and innovative ways. Some of our most popular cocktails of February find inspiration beyond the bar, too, whether it’s utilizing the starchy powers of sushi rice or incorporating a bedtime tisane to dilute a freezer Martini. Here, the Negroni de Nubes, L’Alaska and other recipes you deemed best this month.
Obituary
At Brooklyn’s Maison Premiere, William Elliott resurrects the obscure, absinthe-laced New Orleans Martini. Typical of the city of its birth, which practically has absinthe running through its veins, the classic differentiates itself from other dry Martinis through its inclusion of the French wormwood spirit where there might otherwise be bitters. This recipe reflects the current palate at the bar—far drier than in the early days.
Read More →Negroni de Nubes
Created by Leanne Favre in collaboration with fellow New York bartenders Tom Macy and Shannon Ponche, the Negroni de Nubes is not your average Negroni variation. Unsmoked mezcal forms the base, leaving room for the delicate flavors of a strawberry-infused Cappelletti-Suze mixture and the botanicals of blanc vermouth to shine through. “It just needed one final touch,” recalls Favre. “I had the idea to use rice to contribute texture and mouthfeel, drawing inspiration from the starchy texture of horchata.” Stirring the mixture with a few tablespoons of uncooked rice acts as an à la minute rice wash that lends texture and “delightful creaminess” to the drink.
Read More →L’Alaska
Inspired by the tisane blend taken as a bedtime drink by the Carthusian monks—makers of Chartreuse—beverage director Estelle Bossy creates her own cold infusion of mint, lemon verbena, linden and orange flower to lengthen the house Alaska at Le Rock while boosting its herbal complexity. Paired with the distinctive botanical profile of Monkey 47 gin and a finishing spray of the potent Chartreuse Élixir Végétal, the drink has a freshness and depth of flavor that set it apart from the very first sip.
Read More →Naked & Famous
Ever since the Paper Plane first took flight, it’s landed on menus across the country, sometimes in its original form, but more often than not in modified states that, taken together, chart the progression from a classic, to a modern classic, to an ever-expanding family of riffs. In the case of Joaquín Simó’s Naked & Famous, the twist on a modern classic yielded yet another modern classic, a marriage of mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Aperol and lime juice. Simó created this modern classic while working at New York’s Death & Co., and it reads like a cross between the Paper Plane and Last Word.
Read More →Nonalcoholic Negroni
Much like the Negroni Sbagliato’s origin story, this nonalcoholic Negroni was created when Favre mistakenly grabbed a bottle of Wilfred’s nonalcoholic aperitif in lieu of a similarly labeled gin substitute. The resulting drink was our favorite in a blind tasting of 10 nonalcoholic Negronis, favored for its bracing and bitter qualities. “The bitterness helps me come back for another sip rather than want to throw it back,” said Macy, a judge at the tasting.
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