Tuesday, March 9, 2010

the fritz

3/4 oz Peychaud's Bitters
3/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
3/4 oz Junipero Gin
3/4 oz Punt e Mes (*)

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
(*) Substitute 3/4 oz sweet vermouth + 1 dash Campari if lacking Punt e Mes.

While drinking my Curaçao Punch at Lineage on Friday night, bartender Ryan Lotz mentioned that he had crafted a drink that was inspired by The Gerty and its usage of Peychaud's Bitters. At the time, the drink lacked a name and the bar lacked the Punt e Mes needed to make the drink. However, he mentioned that he found Vya Sweet Vermouth plus a dash of Campari made a decent substitution in a pinch and that the drink would have a name by the time it appeared on the menu next week. So for my second drink, I asked him if he would be willing to make me one.
Recipe-wise, the drink seemed like an abstract Martinez with the Jerry Thomas era Boker's or more modern orange bitters being swapped for Peychaud's. The cocktail started with an orange oil and Maraschino liqueur nose, and the sip yielded a pleasant mixture of anise, vermouth, and bitter notes. Surprisingly, the quarter portion of Maraschino -- often an overpowering flavor -- was understated. As the drink warmed up, the the Maraschino liqueur began to play a bigger role in the profile, and the Peychaud's cherry notes and the Maraschino then made for an amazing flavor combination.
Ryan wrote me yesterday to tell me that he "named the Peychaud's heavy cocktail you tried while at Lineage "The Fritz," after New Orleans born abstract expressionist Fritz Bultman. I felt the large proportions and bold flavors in the drink were fitting for the roughly textured and vividly colored ab-ex paintings, and looking for a New Orleans themed name made Bultman a shoe-in." Luckily, he came up with a name before I had to put a place holder name [in brackets] like the Antoine Martinez or the Coolidge Corner(ed).

6 comments:

Kyle said...

Is it wrong to be terrified by that much Peychaud's?

frederic said...

Only until you try it. It was my second drink with Peychaud's as a significant ingredient, and both are rather tasty. And I've had Angostura in larger quantities (1 1/2 in the Trinidad Sour and it was also a pleasant surprise.

I have not had the Beta Cocktails (Rogue Cocktail Book) Gunshop Fizz which is 2 oz of Peychaud's -- the largest Peychaud's quantity I've heard of.

Anonymous said...

Can I substitute a London Dry here such as Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray? Or is it Junipero or nothing? I've been getting into the Trinidad Sour and such lately, but have yet to try any hella Peychaud'd drinks. Recommend any others?

Anonymous said...

Oh, and likewise I only have Ricard as an anise player if I want to try the Gerty. Would that go down any well?

frederic said...

When I write about drinks I have at bars, I list what the bartender made it with (I do the same when making drinks at home, but I put my choice in parentheses).

I believe the choice for Junipero was made because it has a large juniper signature. Feel free to sub another gin, but not one that is low or subtle in flavor or it will get lost in the shuffle.

The Gertie should work well with any pastis (absinthe would up the proof a bit though). If it's what you would rinse your Sazeracs at home with, then go for it!

Stew said...

A sweet and tasty tipple. Have to disagree with the maraschino being understated at the outset; it was quite pronounced for me all the way through. I find that anytime a drink calls for more than 1/2 oz, it's a maraschino drink more than any other kind of drink, no matter what it might be called. The Peychaud's provides a great bitterness and herbalness against it.