colonia roma

1 1/2 oz Blanco Tequila (Piedra Azul)
1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz Branca Menta
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 barspoon Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Two Fridays ago, my copy of Food & Wine: Cocktails 2013 arrived, and I started perusing the book for cocktail ideas. This year, the format is similar to 2011 where there drink recipes are divided up by spirit type, but instead of one contributor for each section, there are four. Some notable and familiar faces include Will Thompson of Drink, Ivy Mix of Clover Club, Erick Castro of Polite Provisions, Paul McGee of Three Dots & A Dash, Nicole Lebedevitch of The Hawthorne, and Kirk Estopinal of Cure. The one I selected to start with was a tequila drink, the Colonia Roma, from the Anvil's Bobby Heugel.
The Colonia Roma proffered a grapefruit and mint-menthol aroma that blended in well with the agave nose. Next, a white wine and lime sip gave way to a minty tequila swallow with an herbal finish. Overall, the libation fell somewhere between a Virgin de Guadalupe and the Restauranteur.