While developing the drinks menu for Pacific Standard at Portland’s KEX hotel, “we didn’t really have a classic spirit-forward drink on our very fanciful lobby bar menu,” says Jeffrey Morgenthaler, the bar’s owner. This Vieux Carré variation fills that role, “grounding” the drinks list. “We named it, aptly, Terra Firma, or ‘solid ground’ in Latin,” explains Morgenthaler. The Terra Firma, made with Japanese whisky in place of rye and apple brandy in place of Cognac, puts a modern spin on the classic.
Terra Firma
Jeffrey Morgenthaler | Portland, Oregon
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 3/4 ounce Japanese whisky, preferably Suntory Toki
- 3/4 ounce apple brandy, preferably Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy
- 3/4 ounce blanc vermouth, preferably Dolin
- 1/4 ounce Bénédictine
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
Garnish: lemon twist
Directions
- Stir with ice cubes and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.