EMBURY COCKTAILS

Further New Traditionalists & The Debut of the Indian Summer

 

Last Thursday while twin tornadoes ripped across Brooklyn knocking down over 1,000 trees, Team Embury was setting up for its first event of the fall at ne0-retro furniture outfitters The New Traditionalists, in their cozy--and safe--showroom in Soho. Despite a late start due to city-wide apprehension over the intense storm the faithful still made the trek and by 7 p.m. the party was in full swing. I had the chance to demo a new cocktail I'd come up with called "Indian Summer", using Cynar, Beefeater Summer Edition and a puree of equal parts fresh red peppers and pickled sweet and sour mixed peppers--pretty damn tasty, if I do say so myself, and several guests declared its potent foodiness to make it a great alternative to a Bloody Mary. Huge respect to Nic Hirsch of Cellar Bar at Andaz 5th Avenue for his recipe Cynar Rosso (see our post here) that's the source of my original inspiration, and to John Byrd for suggesting the addition of the sweet and sour peppers. Hirch's original recipe calls for Martin Miller's Gin and the crisp, almost biting citrus notes partnered beautifully with the red pepper he muddled it with. But the elderflower, hibiscus flower and blackcurrant notes of the Summer Edition give the sweet and sour vinegared peppers something complex and earthy to work with, and the Indian Summer feels like a great late harvest drink.

 
INDIAN SUMMER

3/4 ounce Cynar
2 ounce Beefeater Summer Edition Gin
1.5 ounce puree of fresh red peppers and sweet & sour peppers*
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/4 ounce turbinado syrup

I made a punch with the recipe and shook individual servings. As a combination garnish and ice cube I froze some colorful habaneros in a take-out container.
*I used "Peperoni in Agrodolce" from Il Mongetto-can be purchased at BuonItalia in Chelsea Market--they don't seem to be on the website yet but can be ordered by phone at 212-633-9717, and they're about $12.

Amy McNally of Brooklyn's Camp bar and Embury's main man Mark Buettler were on hand. Mark was mixing up something we'd worked on together, a spicy riff on a Paloma, using our still-in-development sriracha bitters.

Clicking on the recipe cards below should give you a nice big printable file.

 
Jaime Salas of Milagro manned a station, serving up the Mora y Sylvia  with blackberries and Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters.

  

Cynar Cocktail Contest & The Search for Delicious

I attended the first ever Cynar cocktail competition the other night at the Trump Soho (which is nowhere  as tacky as you'd expect!) I took a friend who'd never experienced the Italian aperitivo that's made from a blend of artichoke leaves and herbs infused in an alcohol base. He declared all five entries to be delicious, and I'm not sure how much of his response came from how good the cocktails were (all very good) and how much from the uncommonly harmonious combination of  savory and sweet the spirit acheives. Both, probably. The big surprise to me was how well the spirit mixes--5 cocktails, 5 varied approaches, and I daresay 5 complete successes. And, for the most part, quite easy to make at home with some simple prep. I was also reminded of Kirk Estopinal of Cure in New Orlean's and his sumptuous "The Search for Delicious".  That's below, and below that is the complete list of entrants in the Cynar contest, with recipes.

The Search for Delicious

2 oz Cynar
3/4 oz Punt e Mes
15-21 drops of lemon juice
6 dashes Regan's bitters
2 pinches sea salt
5 swaths of lemon peel

Start with one "baker's" pinch of salt in a rocks glass. Add the Cyanr and briefly stir. Add the Punt e Mes, bitters, lemon juice and ice. Stir briefly to incorporate. Taste, looking for only the faintest hint of salt. If the drink tastes salty, throw out your first attempt and adjust your salt levels. When the salt level is correct, express the oil from five swatch of lemon peel onto teh sruface of teh cocktail, dropping one in along the side of teh galss, skin side facing in. An 1/8 rim of salt will allow your guest to experiment with a few salty sips. Making the following sips pleasantly sweet, which will not make your brain hurt.

IL MIO RAGAZZO (MY ITALIAN BOYFRIEND) Pictured above, and winner of First Place, created by Tina Michelle Braunstein, Empire Rooftop, NYC. Winner selected by party guests.)

1 1/2 oz  Cynar.
1  oz  Martin Miler's Gin.
1  oz Trader Joe's orange, mango, peach juice.
2  dashes Regan's Orange bitters.
Splash Fresh squeezed Lemon Juice.
Sicilian sea salted cucumber (for garnish)

Stir over ice everything but the garnish  =  the Cynar,  the gin,  the 2 juices and the bitters.  Then serve straight up in a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cucumber wheel salted with sicilian sea salt, floating on top.

 
TEAM CYNAR: (Clockwise, starting lower left) Raphael Reyes, Tina Michelle Braunstein, Jessica Butt of Heaven Hill, Jonathan Pogash of USBG, James Menite, Justin James Noel & Nic Hirsch.

COMPLETE LISTING OF RECIPES AFTER THE JUMP