amertinez

1 1/4 oz Gin (Martin Miller Westbourne)
2/3 oz Amer or Amaro (one with Averna, another with Cynar)
2/3 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur (Luxardo)
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Two Fridays ago, I was flipping through World's Best Cocktails when I spotted the Amertinez. The recipe was created by Chris Hannah at Arnaud's French 75 bar in New Orleans as a Martinez created with an amer or amaro. The amaro was not in place of the classic's gin but in place of half of the sweet vermouth (in an equal parts recipe) or perhaps in addition to the sweet vermouth (in a 2:1 recipe). As I bandied about bitter liqueurs to use with Andrea, I decided to make two -- one with Averna and one with Cynar.
The Cynar one was my favorite and it greeted me with orange oil and Maraschino notes on the nose. A caramel and sweet vermouth sip led into a gin swallow. After the gin came the Cynar which worked well with the Maraschino funkiness here. Meanwhile, the Averna one was Andrea's favorite for she found it more complex and possessing a prettier color. The drink greeted me with an orange and caramel aroma. The caramel continued on into the sip where it mingled with the sweet vermouth's grape. Next, the gin began the swallow that ended with the Averna dominating the Maraschino notes. Overall, the Cynar Amertinez had a thinner mouthfeel but a more earthy and quirky nature, and the Averna one was more balanced and had a less domineering Maraschino presence.