montmartre

2 oz Citadelle Reserve Gin
1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz Craigie Picon (Housemade Amer Picon)
1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry.
When Andrea returned from her trip last Wednesday, we decided to go out to Craigie on Main for a welcome back drink. After perusing the cocktail menu, I asked bartender Carrie Cole for the Montmartre while Andrea selected the Zelda Fitzgerald (Rittenhouse 100 Rye, Mirto, Cynar, Aperol, lemon twist). The Montmartre was Carrie's take on the Brooklyn using Citadelle Reserve, an oak barrel-aged gin, in place of the rye whiskey. Perhaps it was the French gin in combination with the borough-named original that made Carrie think of that region of Paris, or perhaps a recollection of how she wanted a refreshing drink after climbing all of the steps to the peak at Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. Regardless, the drink itself started with a very gin-dominated nose. The sip was rather dry with light orange and Maraschino notes that increased as the drink warmed up. In addition, the balance shifted to be slightly sweeter, more flavorful, and more complex in bitter notes as it warmed over time. The Montmartre did seem drier than I remember the Brooklyn tasting either due to the drying effects of gin relative to rye or due to the greater amount of French vermouth in this recipe than many of the other Brooklyn recipes I have had. Overall, the barrel aging of the gin was not enough to shake the thought that the Montmarte was more of a tasty Martini variant than a Manhattan one.