Thursday, September 22, 2011

miami special

1 oz Gin (Beefeater)
1 oz Orange Juice
1 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
3 tsp Orange Marmalade (1/2 oz Hero Bitter Orange)
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Shake with ice and double strain into a cocktail glass. I added an orange twist.

Two Tuesdays ago, I was browsing through Burke's Complete Cocktail and Tasty Bites Recipes and spotted the Miami Special. While it did remind me of the Savoy Cocktail Book's Marmalade Cocktail given the gin and marmalade, instead of the latter's lemon juice, the Miami Special called for orange juice and knocked the sweetness back with dry vermouth and Angostura Bitters.
The Miami Special's nose contained orange notes and a hint of spice from the bitters and gin. The orange continued on into the sip where the marmalade also donated a rich mouthfeel. The Angostura Bitters notes then dominated the swallow with bitter complexity and spice. The bitters were supplemented by the gin and dry vermouth, and these worked well with the marmalade flavors at the end. Overall, the Miami Special had the essence of a Pegu Club sans the crispness and flavor of the lime juice; in addition, the bitters seemed to prevent the drink from being insipid like a lot of orange juice drinks can often turn out.

No comments: