It was Fall of 2005 and Audrey Saunders had only just opened the Pegu Club in New York. She was working hard to introduce customers to drinks that didn’t focus on vodka. It was a brave new world. Opening up The Pegu Club involved breaking ground in a lot of areas as well as getting new products into the hands of bartenders.
We have Audrey to thank for popularizing rye whiskey, showing us how to work with vermouth and Amari again, as well as bringing Luxardo maraschino cherries into bars. To illustrate the value of these ingredients, Audrey created the Little Italy, her popular riff on the classic Manhattan.
There really isn’t a substitute for either the Cynar, or the Luxardo cherries in this recipe. Both of these ingredients are commonly found in craft cocktail bars, and are quickly making inroads into most bars across the country.
Small Screen delivers beautifully crafted videos about cocktails, bartending, mixology, food and cooking, each and every week. SUBSCRIBE to Small Screen: http://bit.ly/MF8FOT
Sign up for the Small Screen email newsletter & be the first to know when new episodes air on our site!: http://bit.ly/13B6uVE
The Cocktail Spirit on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1ajfvq5
Small Screen on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/15F6PwT
Small Screen on Twitter: http://bit.ly/16Drsuj
Small Screen on Pinterest: http://bit.ly/18lxkp9
Watch this episode on Small Screen:
Recipe:
2 oz. Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz. Cynar
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
Instructions:
Stir ingredients with ice.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with Luxardo maraschino cherries, along with a dash of their syrup.
