1/6 jigger Italian Vermouth (3/4 oz Martini Grand Lusso)
1 dash Absinthe (12 drop St. George)
1 spoon Orange Blossom Water (3 drop)
2 drop Bitters (1 dash Jerry Thomas Decanter)
Stir with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Two Wednesdays ago, I picked up Bill Boothby's 1934 World Drinks and How to Mix Them and came across the section with eleven Martini recipes. One that stood out was the Special Martini that opted for Italian vermouth instead of French and accented by absinthe, orange blossom water, and a hint of bitters. When I dubbed it Boothby's Special Martini, I thought about The Boothby -- the name given to Boothby's special Manhattan where he upsold a Champagne float if he thought he could part a few extra coins from the guest.
The 2017 collection of 855 drink recipes, bartender tributes, and essays on hospitality from CocktailVirgin's Frederic Yarm. Available at 
The 2012 collection of 505 drink recipes, techniques, and Boston bar recommendations from Frederic Yarm. Available at 
Posts
2 comments:
Curious why you reduced the original amount of orange flower water by so much. Is the modern ingredient much more concentrated than it used to be? I missed the difference when I made the drink just now and used a full bar spoon. It doesn’t taste overpowering to me, though it’s a strong component of the nose.
I went with gut instinct. Too much OBW can ruin a Ramos, for example. I'll give this a proper go sometime with an 1/8 oz OBW.
Post a Comment