albariza

1 oz Lustau Manzanilla Sherry
1/2 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Salers Gentiane Liqueur
1 dash Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a flute glass. Top with 2 to 2 1/2 oz cava and garnish with a long lemon twist.
Two Fridays ago, I found my way over to Straight Law for a drink. There, I asked bartender Sean Sullivan for the Albariza on the menu. Sean explained that this was his submission to the Vino de Jerez competition; it was "basically a Sour with manzanilla and topped with cava... a French 75 of sorts." The drink name is a tribute to the clay, calcium, and sea fossil soil of the sherry growing region in Spain. Albariza is what helps to define sherry grapes from the minerality of the soil to reflecting light back to to the vines to help them grow faster. Once in the glass, the Albariza cocktail presented a lemon, earthy, and floral aroma with notes of dry white wine. Next, a crisp and carbonated lemony sip gave way to an elegant swallow where earthy gentian flavors melded rather well with those of the sherry.