Spring is Coming

No, this article isn’t a satire or commentary about Game of Thrones. It’s not even about the weather really, except for the first bit. It is however, a post in two disparate parts and minds, each presented by one of the two authors.

Two weeks ago everyone started proclaiming that spring had arrived; their assertion was based on everything from the observation of various flora and fauna to dates on their calendars to the release of new TV shows. I beg to differ. The arrival of spring is not determined by any of these factors!

The only way to know with any certainty that its spring is when you realize that the scotch that you are drinking doesn’t have the same magic that it did a week ago. The only way to know is when you realize that, suddenly, you really feel like something with some gin in it. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not sick of whiskey. Please let me die before such a day comes. I just have come to a stage in the year where my marginal utility from gin is higher.

This change, then, requires a new cocktail. Something that eases you out of winter and prepares you for summer; nothing too sweet or citrusy since we get plenty of that all summer. But also nothing too smoky and bitter. Luckily, we have the Negroni.

In my experience, one of the least liked cocktails, the Negroni can most easily be described as refreshingly bitter. Because of a lot of its flavor comes from the bitter appertif Campari, people typically find this cocktail to be overpowering and unpleasant. My response, “more for me!”.

For those who can appreciate and enjoy bitter drinks, the Negroni can be a truly great cocktail. Balancing sweet, sour and bitter perfectly without being too heavy, this drink is the best way to usher in the warmer days. 

The Negroni

1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin

1 oz Sweet (Red) Vermouth

1 oz Campari

Pour all the ingredients over ice into a low-ball glass. Garnish with an orange twist. 

So the next time you want to experience what Blake said when he wrote To Spring “let us taste/ Thy morn and evening breath”, make yourself a Negroni and sip away. 

Cheers!

A 

About a year and a half ago, I began to experiment with cocktail mixing for the first time. Having at that time a very limited bar, I chose to focus on cultivating my collection to make sweet, dessert-like drinks; figuring that these cocktails are almost universally liked (except by people like my blog collaborator) and fairly easy to make. One of the first cocktails that I developed in my bar came about by mixing together four well-loved liqueurs. The resulting cocktail became so popular that in any given evening that I was mixing drinks for a gathering of friends, I could count on mixing (at the very least) a half-dozen of these drinks. Not only is it extremely easy to drink because it’s so smooth (not surprising considering that this drink is largely irish cream), if mixed properly it has almost no alcoholic burn to it. It was soon dubbed the Thin Mint for its similarity of taste to the classic cookie whose arrival is mark of the beginning of spring for many. What follows is this author's official recipe for the Thin Mint cocktail:

The Thin Mint
1 oz Bailey's Original Irish Cream
1 oz Frangelico
1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Creme de Menthe
Combine in a cocktail shaker with several ice cubes and shake until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail coupe and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Cheers!

B

So however you prefer to usher in this new season and whatever your predilection in flavor may be, there is a cocktail to suit your needs. All you need to do is find an excuse to make one, but we will leave that part to you…