Tip Your Bartender is a social media initiative from PUNCH connecting our readers with bar teams across the country via Instagram. We’re asking select bartenders to share their drinks (albeit virtually) and encourage the PUNCH audience to “tip” during the economically uncertain times ahead.
Between March 30th and May 29th, for every dollar tipped to bar teams, the Bacardi family of brands has generously committed to matching it with an equal gift to our charitable partner, Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.
Send a tip to the Le Sirenuse Miami bar staff via Venmo by searching @valentino-longo.
The Decisive Moment
Valentino Longo, Le Sirenuse | Miami, Florida
Valentino Longo’s take on a gin Martini—which won first place in the 2020 Most Imaginative Bartender competition—is constructed to reflect the four classic elements that enable a balanced photograph. The gin base serves as the subject, while bergamot liqueur, with its evocative Mediterranean ingredients, represents light. A blend of sherry and vermouth, both the benefactors of barrel-aging, represent shadow while adding richness to the drink. Lastly, contrast is created through the inventive garnish: a drop of coconut olive oil, followed by three drops of coffee-infused balsamic vinegar, creating color differentiation on the surface of the drink. “Every time you look at a picture, it’s always different,” says Longo. “With this cocktail, every time you have a sip, you get a different layer.”
1 ½ ounces Bombay Sapphire gin
¾ ounce bergamot liqueur
¼ ounce Cocchi Americano
½ ounce Tio Pepe sherry
½ ounce Martini Ambrato vermouth
Garnish: coconut olive oil (see Editors’ Note) and coffee-infused balsamic vinegar (see Editors’ Note)
Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled, and strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with 1 large drop of coconut olive oil, followed by 3 smaller drops of coffee-infused balsamic vinegar inside the olive oil.
Editors’ Note
Coconut Olive Oil
50ml olive oil
Pulp from one whole Thai coconut
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the oil to 140°F. Remove from the heat, add the coconut pulp, and stir to combine. Cover and let sit overnight. The next day, strain the mixture through a coffee filter.
Coffee Balsamic Vinegar
500g freshly ground coffee
500ml balsamic vinegar
To a vacuum-sealable bag, add the fresh-ground coffee and balsamic vinegar. Vacuum-seal and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, strain the mixture through a coffee filter.
Order ingredients for this cocktail for delivery via Drizly.
