cornerman

1 oz Campari
1 oz Fernet Branca
3/4 oz Passion Fruit Syrup
3-4 wedge Lemon
6-8 leaf Mint
1 pinch Salt

Muddle lemon wedges, mint, and salt in the passion fruit syrup. Add the rest, whip shake, and strain into a rocks glass with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint bouquet and add straws.

Two Fridays ago, Nicholas Jarrett's Prizefighter No. 7 was still fresh on my mind and I was thinking about how the Prizefighter series never included a Campari recipe. I was considering an Americano direction and pairing the Campari with sweet vermouth (since that series generally contains an aromatized wine element), but instead I paired it with Fernet Branca with a nod to the 50:50 shot the Ferrari which has worked well in drinks like the Ferrari Colada. Moreover, I was introduced to the concept of muddling citrus wedges with Campari in the European riff of the Caipirinha, the Camparinha, and I generated my own Fernet riff that I dubbed the Brancinha. Instead of the Prizefighter's simple syrup, I took a page from Jamie Boudreau's Novara and reached for passion fruit syrup instead. For a name, I kept the boxing angle but went with the Cornerman (more attractive than the Cutman alternative that popped into my head) to perhaps start my own series with a nod to the inspiration.
The Cornerman presented a mint over tropical passion fruit nose that preceded lemon melding into passion fruit to make an almost mango-like sip. Next, orange and somewhat minty-herbal flavors rounded off the drink on the swallow. Indeed, the pinch of salt really reduced the amari's bitterness and made for a softer balance.