Monday, July 13, 2026

hotel de ville

1 1/2 oz Calvados (Morin Selection)
1/2 oz Smith & Cross Rum
1/2 oz Amaro Nardini

Stir with ice, strain into an old fashioned glass with ice, and garnish with an orange twist.
Two Mondays ago, I opened up The Bartender's Choice Volume 3 app and selected the Hotel De Ville by Zack Gelnaw-Rubin at Manhattan's Lion Lion circa 2019. The name Hotel De Ville translates to "city hall," and the term often refers to the magnificent one in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. I was familiar with the combination of spirit modified by Nardini which has appeared with Bourbon in the Closing Argument (plus chocolate bitters) and with rye in the Defeat by Greater Things (plus orange bitters) and the Mayor's Lament (plus a trio of bitters). Moreover, there was also a somewhat similar recipe spirits-wise with the Dark Horse with a Jamaican rum-Calvados pairing (albeit a non-funky rum) accented by Nardini and orange liqueur. Once prepared, the Hotel De Ville proffered an orange, caramel, apple, and rum funk bouquet. Next, caramel notes on the sip led into apple, funky rum, gentian, licorice, and mint flavors on the swallow.

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