Bad-ass cocktails: intensely bitter, herbal, or otherwise extreme

[EvergreenDan]

Do you like a bit pain in your drink? A smidgen of suffering? A bit of bite?

I'll start with this little work-in-progress by Zach Pearson. You might visit the link for the latest recipe.

Krakatoa, August 25th, 1883

by Zachary Pearson

1 oz Jamaican rum, Smith & Cross

3/4 oz Amaro, Sibilla

3/4 oz Torani Amer

1/2 oz Demerara Rum, Lemon Hart 151

1/2 oz Pineapple juice

1 bsp Allspice Dram, St. Elizabeth

3 ds Bitters, Scrappy's (Aromatic)

2 ds Bitters, Angostura orange

1 spg Mint (as garnish)

Shake, strain over new crushed ice, garnish with a mint sprig.

I tried this tonight without the Allspice Dram (which he just added). It is very, very good. Stimulating. Exciting. Cerebral. Surprisingly, the caramel of the Lemon Hart dominates the initial sip. The large dose of Amaro Sibilla (an intensely bitter amaro) doesn't come in until after the swallow, but lingers nicely. The crushed ice is helpful. There is a lot of alcohol in this drink. One was plenty. I believe Zach may have something to say about this drink in an upcoming article.

Note: I used a mixture of Bittermen's Amere Nouvelle and homemade Amer Boudreau in lieu of the Torani Amer.

Edited September 18, 2012 by EvergreenDan (log)

[rod rock]

Very nice explained recipe! Thank you very much, i will wrote it down and try it this days. I like to experiment with cocktails.

[tanstaafl2]

Seems like intensely bitter drinks is something of a mini culture of its own in the burgeoning cocktail movement.

I think I have to finally admit to myself that I am not going to ever be a fan of that part of the cocktail movement that likes bitter "über alles" (for some reason intense bitterness strikes me as being German!).

I am getting more comfortable with drinks they stray a bit to the bitter side but intensely bitter drinks for the sake of intense bitterness just isn't ever going to be my thing.

[FrogPrincesse]

Do you like a bit pain in your drink? A smidgen of suffering? A bit of bite?

I'll start with this little work-in-progress by Zach Pearson. You might visit the link for the latest recipe.

Krakatoa, August 25th, 1883

by Zachary Pearson

1 oz Jamaican rum, Smith & Cross

3/4 oz Amaro, Sibilla

3/4 oz Torani Amer

1/2 oz Demerara Rum, Lemon Hart 151

1/2 oz Pineapple juice

1 bsp Allspice Dram, St. Elizabeth

3 ds Bitters, Scrappy's (Aromatic)

2 ds Bitters, Angostura orange

1 spg Mint (as garnish)

Shake, strain over new crushed ice, garnish with a mint sprig.

I tried this tonight without the Allspice Dram (which he just added). It is very, very good. Stimulating. Exciting. Cerebral. Surprisingly, the caramel of the Lemon Hart dominates the initial sip. The large dose of Amaro Sibilla (an intensely bitter amaro) doesn't come in until after the swallow, but lingers nicely. The crushed ice is helpful. There is a lot of alcohol in this drink. One was plenty. I believe Zach may have something to say about this drink in an upcoming article.

Note: I used a mixture of Bittermen's Amere Nouvelle and homemade Amer Boudreau in lieu of the Torani Amer.

Intriguing cocktail; I can see the potential. Unfortunately I can't try it unless there is an acceptable substitute for the Sibilla.

Regarding "intensely bitter, herbal, or otherwise extreme" drinks, most of the ones from the beta cocktail book seemed to fit into that category. I enjoy them every once in a while but have had a hard time convincing other people. Not everyone's cup of tea. And there is such a thing as overly bitter. One time I tried a drink that took me practically an hour to finish because of its intense bitter quality. It would have been fine as a sipping drink (the flavor was good), but it was not the best choice for a first drink.

[Zachary]

Dan,

Thanks for posting this - the inspiration for this drink was my love/hate relationship with Tiki drinks. Too often they're a dump bucket for the tail ends of bottles of rum, a rainbow of exotic syrups and so much fruit juice you might as well open a paleta stand. When Tiki drinks are good (a minimalist Mai Tai), they're staggeringly good. When they're bad..... think bad mulled cider. Ick. This series of drinks is meant to claim the Tiki aesthetic in a Tiki framework with nontraditional flavors.

Tanstaafl and FP,

I don't think this is overly bitter. Yes, it's equal parts rum and amaro, with very little sweet "filler". But the temperature of the drink and the proof of the spirit manages to reduce the bitterness. I think this is a bit more bitter than a Negroni, but not by much.

FP,

Unfortunately, Amaro Sibila is not substitutable - it's sweetened with wild honey and cooked over an open fire and nothing quite replicates those aromas, even though if you were brave, you might try to bitter Barenjager with both gentian and quinine to do so.

Thanks,

Zachary

[Zachary]

Here's the newest one - this actually worked well on the first try. Sorry about the (more) obscure ingredients. They're necessary, trust me.

Vienna, September 13th, 1683

by Zachary Pearson

1 oz Coffee (brewed, cold)

3/4 oz Mezcal, Alipus San Balthazar

3/4 oz Genever, Bols Barrel Aged

3/4 oz Zwack Unicum

1/4 oz Suze

1/4 oz Orgeat

1 bsp Bitters, Boker's

3 ds Bitters, Scrappy's Lime

3 dr Bitters, Scrappy's Cardamon

Shake, strain into a double old fashioned glass with a large ice cube.

--

Kindred Cocktails | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community

Thanks,

Zachary

[Chris Amirault]

I've got so many of these I don't know where to begin....

[ChrisTaylor]

I managed to find Sibilia on a menu last night. Hadn't heard of it until this thread. Or seen it, even. Luckily I now know where I can get it.

This stuff is amazing. Truly bitter. Not disgustingly so, of course, but I totally understand the 'you can't substitute this' comment. I mean, I have a decent collection of cocktail bitters and most of the amari readily avaliable to me but I can't think of anything that would be a fair replacement.

[Tri2Cook]

I've got so many of these I don't know where to begin....

Just start tossing them out. I'm going to be watching this thread closely hoping something shows up that I can try with things I have or can get via the LCBO.

[Chris Amirault]

All right: I'll start combing through the files and try to get one up every night or two. Here's the first, from Ted Kilpatrick of No. 9 Park and Drink in Boston:

Scotland the Brave

2 1/2 oz Talisker

3/4 oz Fernet Branca

3/4 oz sweet vermouth (M&R)

1/2 oz Mathilde Orange XO (Grand Marnier)

Stir; strain over one large rock; orange twist.

[Tri2Cook]

Sounds interesting Chris but I'm at a bit of a scotch crossroads right now. I gave up on the Laphroaig I had and gave it to a friend. My attempts to wrap my head around it failed. Even mixed, it took over too much for my liking. So now I'm a bit gun-shy about buying others. I'm happy with the Highland Park 12 I have but I don't even find myself wanting to drink it over other options (though I've had mixed drinks using it that I enjoyed very much). The Talisker is $75 at the LCBO and not available locally so I think I'll have to keep watching for something else.

[Chris Amirault]

Okey doke. How about this, based on Audrey Saunders's Goodnight, Irene?

Rough & Tumble

2 oz Brugal extra viejo or Smith & Cross rum (very different drinks, btw)

1/2 oz Branca Menta

1/2 oz Creole Shrubb or 1/4 oz rich simple syrup

Stir; strain over crushed ice; add a (flamed, if you like) orange peel.

[Tri2Cook]

That sounds tempting but no Branca Menta in Ontario. Fernet I have, Menta is a no go. Still, sometimes the LCBO surprises us with new things... so I'm glad this thread is happening even if I have to sit out for most of it right now.

[Chris Amirault]

A couple of years ago, Paul Clarke over at Cocktail Chronicles shared this drink by Jim Romdall of Vessel:

The Bumpass Hound

2 oz aged rye (I used 2 1/2 oz of Rittenhouse BIB bc of the next substitute)

1/2 oz rye white dog (only have Buffalo Trace Mash #1, so it's a bit more corny than ideal)

1/4 oz Fernet Branca

1/4 oz simple (I used a scant 1/4 oz of gum syrup)

dash Angostura bitters

orange twist, for garnish

Stir; strain; twist.

[Tri2Cook]

Hey Chris, do you think that one's doable with White Owl (wheat-based) standing in for the White Dog? I can do Rittenhouse BiB or Sazerac 6 for the rye. Would the White Owl soften the edges too much?

[mkayahara]

Keep in mind, Tri2Cook, that White Owl is an aged-and-filtered spirit, not an unaged one. I doubt you'd get the rough and tumble aspects of the white dog the recipe calls for.

[Tri2Cook]

Good point Matt. I guess I'll keep watching. For a second there, I thought I'd finally found a reason to open that bottle of White Owl I've been wishing I hadn't bought. Just never seem to find a reason to use it.

Edited September 23, 2012 by Tri2Cook (log)