Cocktail Challenge: Tequila and French Vermouth

[haresfur]

How about a boredom game?

 

Backstory: A bottle of Nolly Prat in my fridge that should be used up. I'm not much of a vermouth drinker. So I got to wondering what to do with it aside from mixing with gin. Then I wondered what it would taste like with tequila since I'd never seen them used together, that I recall. It wasn't as bad as I feared, but needed more depth. In fact it didn't go down the sink even after some not-too-successful additions.

 

Anyone interested in taking a stab at making something good with this combination? Unsuccessful attempts are ok too. And feel free to start threads for different challenges.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Pour tequila in a glass with lime and ice.  Drink (one could only wish).  Carefully wipe doorknob with reserved vermouth.

 

[Craig E]

I might try some experiments. In the meantime I've enjoyed the Jalisco Stroll in the past. 

[MokaPot]

@haresfur , which Noilly Prat do you have? Looks like they have extra dry, original dry, rouge, and amber.

 

I would start with martini proportions with the two products. I.e., mostly tequila with less vermouth. On the rocks or, if you wanted to be fancy, you could shake it and serve it up in a chilled glass. Maybe some bitters and lemon twist as well.

[blue_dolphin]

David Lebovitz has been making daily Instagram cocktails in lieu of his book tour for Drinking French.   

The other day, he made a cocktail called The Truth Serum from one of his previous books, L'Appart, that you might modify, subbing vermouth for the herbal Izarra or Chartreuse.  Maybe swap out the mint for another herb if there is something else that complements the vermouth. 

 

Sérum de Vérité (The Truth Serum)

4 fresh mint leaves

1 tsp simple syrup

2 oz tequila

3/4 oz lime juice

1/2 oz Chartreuse or Izarra

 

Muddle the mint & simple syrup in a shaker, add the remaining ingredients, shake with ice, strain and serve up. 

 

 

 

[Chris Hennes]

I haven't had it personally, by the Yama Blanca out of Death & Co. is pretty well-regarded. They used Dolin, but NP should be a reasonable sub.

[Craig E]

Okay, here's what I came up with after a couple of attempts:

 

Barcelonnette

• 2 oz blanco tequila (I use El Mayor)
• 3/4 oz dry vermouth (Dolin)
• 1/4 oz Amere Sauvage
• 1/4 oz honey syrup
• rinse Herbsaint (or absinthe)

Serve in a coupe with a grapefruit twist.

 

My first go had an ounce of vermouth which was maybe too much, a barspoon of honey syrup which was definitely too little, and fennel bitters instead of the pastis rinse. This is a better balance. The Amere Sauvage, a "savage" gentian Alpine liqueur, is by far the most aggressive flavor but all of the others counter it well, each in its own way. (I would guess Suze would be a sub more likely to have on hand, but I'm unsure about whether/how the proportion would be adjusted for that.) I was thinking about vegetal herbaceous flavors that could be drawn out of the starter ingredients. 

 

Thanks for the fun challenge!

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by Craig E (log)

[haresfur]

Cool, that's similar to the direction I was thinking, but without many choice for amero.

 

I did:

 

1 oz Casamigos reposado tequila

3/4 oz Noilly Prat original vermouth

1/4 oz Amaro Nardini

2 dashes Scrappy's Grapefruit Bitters

 

I would go slightly heavy on the Nardini and maybe a bit lighter on the vermouth

Edited April 16, 2020 by haresfur
forgot the photo (log)

[haresfur]

On 4/14/2020 at 2:37 PM, JoNorvelleWalker said:

Pour tequila in a glass with lime and ice.  Drink (one could only wish).  Carefully wipe doorknob with reserved vermouth.

 

 

I'd add some agave syrup to the tequila and lime 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Agave syrup would make the doorknob sticky.

 

[EvergreenDan]

On 4/14/2020 at 2:41 PM, Craig E said:

I might try some experiments. In the meantime I've enjoyed the Jalisco Stroll in the past. 

Man, clicking that link to Gaz's site, left untouched since his death, hits you in the gut.

[BarinaCraft]

A little late to the party, but 1937's Cafe Royal had at least two cocktails mixed w/ tequila and vermouth. The 1st was the Matador w/ equal parts tequila, dry vermouth and orange curaçao. The 2nd was the Sombrero made with 1/2 tequila and 1/4 each of Italian and French vermouth garnished w/ a squeeze of lemon peel.