1 oz Four Pillars Navy Strength Gin
marc rizzuto Fall/Winter 2022
1 oz Amaro Meletti
0.75 oz Grapefruit Juice
0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.5 oz Cinnamon Cane Syrup
2 dashes Bittermans Tiki Bitters
Method: whip shake/dump
Glassware: tulip
Ice: pebbled
Garnish: grated cinnamon
Bitter Mai Tai was a common off menu drink order. Bitter citrus gin cocktails were also frequently called for, but we did not have much in our back catalogue. We tended to default to one or two, and with the frequent ask, an empty feeling was looming about due to the repeating the same drink over and over. This feeling also happens midway through each season of making the same drink; similar to playing out a song. While the drink is still good, the joy around making it is gone. This usually means it is time to move on to making a new drink for that style and regain that sense of enjoyment. Anyway, I was starting to make a Tropical style cocktail based off the Mezcaletti simplicity of Mezcal and Meletti. Like every season, Mezcal for this slot on the menu was already taken so I had to pivot to gin. I set out to make a cocktail all about the Amaro Meletti. Floral and bitter with warm spices and citrus.
Sticking with the 1:1 ratio of Mezcal to Amaro Meletti, I swapped the Mezcal for gin. Trying out different navy strength gin’s until I landed on Four Pillar’s. The ginger and citrus notes in this gin were everything I wanted from Old Raj, but could not have. Saffron from the Old Raj, on top of the Meletti saffron would have created a nice punch of a delicate spice. I started out by making this a split base gimlet and while it had good bones, I knew it was not complete. I wanted less spices up front and I wanted them to be a little more sneaky. Put this on crushed ice and lets make it a “bitter mai tai riff.” Crushed ice drinks tend to develop flavor slower and over a longer period of time. Shaken up drinks are just what is in the glass at the time of your first sip. Never let a shaken up drink sit for longer than five minutes at room temp. Other’s will argue it can sit longer, they are wrong. Each minute that goes by your drink tastes less and less like the original blueprint. A crushed ice drink should be finished not as quickly, but still quick. People let cocktails sit for fifteen/twenty/thirty+ minutes and complain when you take it away. The removal of these drinks are because they become over-diluted or just too warm to be palatable. Crushed ice drinks should be consumed fully and sent back with the ice and dome still intact in the glass. Everything should look exactly as it was when it arrived to you only your drank all the liquid. This is the ideal way to imbibe.
The Four Pillars Gin was great for teasing out all the complexity in the Amaro Meletti. The grapefruit juice played well to add a textured bitterness. The lime for the acidity necessary to cut through the sugar. This cocktail was becoming a harmony of bitter citrus and flowers, with a touch of chocolate and caramel. Upon presentation for R&D it was in need of more baking spices. We tried Angostura Bitters and Allspice Dram, but then the spices were too overpowering and made the drink very tannic. Cinnamon cane syrup instead of orgeat was a way to add subtle baking spices. To really drive it home, a couple dashes of the Bittermans Tiki Bitters. Basically adding the bitters version of Falernum.
*This cocktail recently won an award at a Meletti cocktail competition in NYC.
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