“When you need just a little lift in flavor,” says Tyler Stevens of Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, “verjus could do it without masking a cocktail’s delicate, spiritual flavors.” He uses the fresh, unfermented grape juice in this drink, which features an entire ounce of Peychaud’s bitters alongside Pierre Ferrand Ambre. “I have never had a cocktail that boasts a full ounce of bitters taste so palatable,” he says. “Verjus can take an ingredient that is too condensed, harsh or bitter and blow it up like a microscope to reveal all of its beautiful complexities.”
Fleur-de-Lis
Tyler Stevens, Teardrop Lounge | Portland, OR
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce Peychaud's bitters
- 3/4 ounce cognac (preferably Pierre Ferrand Ambre)
- 3/4 ounce verjus
- 1/4 ounce honey
- 1 swath lemon peel
- 1 ounce sparkling wine
Directions
- Add bitters, cognac, verjus, honey and lemon peel to a mixing glass.
- Add ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain over ice into a rocks glass.
- Top with sparkling wine.