Wednesday, January 22, 2014

incanto

1 oz Cynar
1 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
1 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a flute glass. Top with 2 oz cava (Gruet Blanc de Blanc) and garnish with a lemon twist spiral.

Two Saturdays ago, after making the Moxie Highballs for Mixology Monday, I turned to Sanctuaria: The Dive Bar of Cocktail Bars for our next libation. There, I spotted the Incanto which seemed like a delightful sparkling wine cocktail especially given how well elderflower liqueur and Cynar pair such as in the Alto Cucina. Instead of St. Germain, I opted for St. Elder which is produced here in Somerville, MA. We were gifted a bottle by the producers, and I was quite pleased to receive it for we have had good luck with it at work such as in the Battle of Trafalgar. While I would probably be able to identify each liqueur in a blind taste test, the flavor profiles are definitely rather similar and St. Elder has a much more attractive price point.

Once mixed, the Incanto offered a bright lemon oil aroma from the twist. The citrus elements continued on into the sip where they mingled with the crisp sparkling white wine and the St. Elder's pear notes. Finally, the swallow offered floral flavors mixed with earthy bitterness.

4 comments:

Mark said...

Somerville produced elderflower liqueur?! interesting. I wonder if I can have them ship me some (already emailed them) of if there are other producers local to me (Long Island).

Cynar is the spirit at the root of a cocktail I had which was horrible (my fault for ordering it, not the bartender's in my opinion) - so I stay clear of it - perhaps I need to carefully try it again - it seems pretty popular/trendy.

frederic said...

It's part of M.S. Walker that is based here, and I don't think that they produce it anywhere else. Not sure whether they're shipping samples out; my bottle was hand delivered to me after my shift at work.

I find Cynar funky and delicious. If it doesn't work for you in something classic like a Little Italy (Manhattan variation), then it might not be for you. But it's like Bonal in that it's a cocktail in a bottle -- sweet, bitter, spiritious, and slightly watered down.

evonne said...

Hello! I just emailed Mark directly, but to let you all know - St. Elder is currently sold in 29 states (and counting), including NY.
For more up to date product info, please check us out at https://www.facebook.com/drinkstelder

Cheers!

greenschist said...

oh its good! I topped up with a nice french champagne and sipped by the pool (quite warm here in the southern hemisphere, sorry to rub it in). With dry champagne,about 1.5oz, it does present rather like an over aerated beer, so needs garnish. Thanks for sharing, this one has made the notebook