Two At The Most » Bitters

Pisaq Cocktail and the PDX Cocktail Invitational

Stevi — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 19:04:23 +0000

As mentioned in my previous post, my prize for winning the Live TDN at Portland Cocktail Week was a slot in the semi-finals of the PDX Cocktail Invitational. I had watched the finals of the 2009 competition live-streamed, and already knew many of the bartenders competing this year, so I knew it was a great event to be a part of.

Sun Temple at Pisaq

But I also knew the rules included bringing all your own equipment, and guess who had come down to Portland with no tools, not expecting to be in a competition at all? Yours truly. So when I found out at 9 pm on Friday night that I would be competing sometime the next day, a mad scramble began.

First was getting samples of the products I had to choose from to feature in my cocktail. I learned from Dänny Ronen that my cocktail needed to feature at least one of the three products from the Fair Trade Spirits Company. My choices were the FAIR. Vodka, Goji, and Café. Dänny helpfully brought over samples of each, and lent me some of his bartools so I could start experimenting with ideas.

While I enjoyed the Goji and Café liqueurs, I decided to focus on the Vodka.¹ This product is made from 100% fair-trade sourced quinoa.² It manages to keep hints of the nutty flavor of its base product, with a rich mouthfeel.

Given my short prep time, I decided to go simple in my final cocktail, and chose to do a riff on the perfect martini. I would be competing against bartenders who knew what they would be working with for more than a few hours, and would have more complex signature cocktails, likely including homemade ingredients. I decided that for my first live cocktail competition I would focus on featuring the product as well as I could, and, frankly, not embarrassing myself. This was my first chance to play with the big boys, after all!

The next big step was to gather additional ingredients in sufficient quantities. A big thanks to John the Bastard, who drove me to Pearl Specialty Market, where I was able to choose from several dry and sweet vermouths. Also thanks to Trader Tiki, who gave me his bottle of Urban Moonshine citrus bitters when I made a desperate call out.

Then it was back to my hotel room to make sure my idea would work. I decided to use Cocchi Americano, first because it’s an excellent product, and second, because I thought the cinchona flavor would help create a theme for my variation; as with quinoa, cinchona is a native South American ingredient. I also chose to go with Vya sweet vermouth, as I really enjoy its overall flavor profile and how well it mixes.

I have to say, I was very happy with the result. I felt the Urban Moonshine citrus bitters were aromatic enough to preclude the need for an additional garnish.

Pisaq Cocktail

2 oz FAIR. quinoa vodka
0.25 oz Cocchi Americano
0.25 oz sweet vermouth (Vya)
2 dashes citrus bitters (Urban Moonshine)

Stir over ice until as cold as an Andean glacier, strain into a cocktail glass.

I decided to name this drink after one of my favorite archaeological sites in Peru, Pisaq, located in the Urubamba valley.

Now having created the drink, I had to compete! I was pretty nervous, especially when I arrived at the Great American Distillers Festival, and realized I would be making drinks on a stage overlooking the whole event! Everybody with the Oregon Bartenders Guild was very reassuring, however, and before I knew it, I was up there, stirring and straining, and even talking reasonably amiably with the various attendees passing by for tastes.

Then I was told it was time for judging. I had to make a full size drink for each of my judges. Naturally, I didn’t have my own glassware, so the OBG provided me with wineglasses. I was amused to discover one of my judges would be David Pickerell, former master distiller at Maker’s Mark and mentor to Woodinville Whiskey.³ The judges were very friendly and put me at as much ease as I could possibly manage.

And then they were gone. I mixed a few more drinks for tasting, and then my 45 minute shift was over. I had competed in my first real cocktail competition, and hadn’t embarrassed myself, at least not that anyone would tell me.

Congratulations to the winners of the finals, Ali Tahsini (first), Tommy Klus (second), Art Tierce (third) and Trevor Easter (fourth). Thanks to the OBG and GADF for letting me participate. It was a great experience, and I’m looking forward to next years festivities.

1 I know! Whoda thunk it!
2 Yes, wurmouroboros, you were right, it’s not a true grain
3 It was no doubt bad form, but I had to ask him if it would it help my chances that I used his Headlong White Dog in the cocktail that got me into the competition. He laughed.

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Bloody Mary

Stevi — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 01:05:29 +0000

I’ve so convinced myself that I do not like the Bloody Mary that I was shocked when I took a sip of the first one I ever made, and…really liked it.

Bloody Mary

Bloody Mary

1.5 ounces vodka or gin
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Crystal hot sauce
2 dashes celery bitters
1/8 tsp horseradish
pinch salt and pepper
0.25 ounce lemon juice
4 ounces tomato juice

combine all ingredients in mixing glass, roll back and forth with a second mixing glass or metal half of Boston shaker until well mixed. Pour into ice-filled glass. Garnish with whatever strikes your fancy.

I’ve long had a bit of a mental block about tomato juice in general. I love tomato soup. I love salsa. I’m even OK with the occasional gazpacho. But something about tomato juice has always turned me off.

I don’t think I had ever tried a Bloody Mary before the Pacific Distillery dinner last summer, when one of the drinks was a Bloody Mary made with their Voyager gin. While it wasn’t my favorite drink of the night, I had to admit I found it pleasant.

In preparing for BarSmarts, I decided I should tackle this drink. The standard recipe does call for vodka, but in a drink that should be savory, how could I not substitute gin? Some claim gin was the original liquor in the drink, others that using gin makes it a Ruddy Mary. Regardless, it’s a great choice.

I also liked the idea of adding horseradish to the mix, as well as celery bitters. And apparently the choices worked well for me, because I’ve happily consumed this brunch staple beverage, and am seriously considering a second round, and what other flavors I’ll try. For certain, I want to see how wasabi works in place of the horseradish.

I’m pretty excited to discover that this is a drink, so long a personal bugaboo, is something I can enjoy. Experimenting with spices and garnishes for this drink can be a lot of fun, and it’s an easy way to add more vegetables to my diet!

What’s your favorite take on the Bloody Mary?

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MxMo XLIII: Vermouth — The Visconti

Stevi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:12:28 +0000

Fall is closing in fast, but October refuses to leave until we honor it with a Mixology Monday. Over at Cocktailians, Vidiot is hosting a most excellent theme, Vermouth. He bids us:

Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to present a delectable vermouth cocktail for us all to drool over. Sweet/Italian or dry/French vermouth are fair game of course, as are quinquina, aperitif wines like Pineau des Charentes, or for that matter any fortified, aromatized wine such as Lillet (red or white), or Dubonnet (ditto.)

Vermouth is a true workhorse of the classic cocktail world. Without it, a martini is just be cold gin. Fortified wines are among my favorite mixers, and my refrigerator is bulging with various bottles of Lillet, Punt e Mes, sweet, blanc, and dry vermouth.¹

Visconti

One of my favorite ways to change up a drink is simply to switch the vermouth used. Like a martini with dry vermouth? I bet it willl be great with Lillet blanc! Can’t decide between a martini and a martinez? Make a perfect martini with equal parts of each!

Another favorite drink of mine is the Negroni, with equal parts London dry gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. This is a great base to experiment with, as I have show several times here at Two at the Most. One of my most successful substitutions so far was the Rumgroni, simply using rum instead of gin.

Last time I was in the mood for a Rumgroni, my eye was caught by my bottle of Amaro Ramazzotti. I’ve covered Ramazzotti several times, because it’s a fantastic amaro. I decided to give it a whirl in place of the Campari. While the initial taste was great, to my surprise going full equal parts on the Ramazzotti seemed to make it too dominant — surprising to me since I think of it as much more mild than Campari.

Visconti

1 ounce Jamaican run (Appleton V/X)
0.75 ounces Amaro Ramazzotti
1 ounce sweet vermouth

Stir over ice until well chilled and strain into rocks glass with one piece of ice. Garnish with flamed orange peel.

Dialing the Ramazzotti back to 3/4 ounce and adding a flamed orange twist garnish made for a great balance. This is another drink that will go into rotation in my home bar. Full and rich, yet easy to sip, and made all the better because of the sweet vermouth. I decided to call it the Visconti after the House of Visconti, long time rulers of the Duchy of Milan. Since it’s a take on the Negroni, named after another duke, it seemed apt.

Thanks, Vidiot, for a great topic. Be sure to check out Cocktailians for the wrap-up!

[1] Please tell me you already know to keep your open vermouth in the fridge to make it last longer!

Don’t Be Bitter

Stevi — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:48:02 +0000

I love Beefeater 24 Gin, and I love Bitter Truth bitters, so I was a bit bitter that I didn’t seem to have much of a chance to get my hands on my very own bottle of the Bitter Truth’s Beefeater 24 bitters.

Bitter Truth Beefeater 24 Bitters

That was until Michael Dietsch announced his “Don’t Be Bitter” contest over at A Dash of Bitters. All I have to do is give some link love to a fellow blogger and talk about a time I was bitter about their good fortune.

At the top of my list is Tiare over at A Mountain of Crushed Ice. Not only does she take great photos and invent wonderful tiki drinks, but she’s always getting rums I can never dream of getting my hands on. It’s not just that she torments us U.S. bloggers by prominently featuring Havana Club rums in her sidebar¹. She is continually reviewing delicious sounding Demerara rums that apparently only she can get. Her month of mai tais sounds positively sinful, and would set me back a fortune to try to replicate. I’m sure it wasn’t too cheap for her, having to import rums all the way to Sweden, but somehow she does it, and she does it oh so very well!

It would soothe my envy to receive a bottle of Beefeater 24 bitters, but even if I don’t win, I’ll keep reading Tiare’s wonderful blog, and think you should to!

[1] Oh, the forbidden fruit!

MxMo XLII: Dizzy Dairy — Kávé

Stevi — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:57:22 +0000

It may barely still be September, but it is definitely Monday, so it must be time for Mixology Monday! This month, we are hosted by the kind folk over at eGullet. Chris Amirault has chosen the topic of “Dizzy Dairy,” declaring:

Any drink using a dairy product is fair game: milk, cream, eggs, butter, cheese, yogurt, curds, you name it. Given the importance of dairy products in drinks dating back centuries, there are lots of opportunities for digging through vintage receipts for a taste of the past, and as always innovation is highly encouraged.

It’s been a while since I’ve featured an original drink at Two at the Most, so this seemed like an excellent time to try something new.

Kávé

Aside from the occasional Ramos Gin Fizz, I rarely use milk products in cocktails, although I frequently use egg whites! I do have a favorite nightcap, which is an ever-changing combination of rum, milk, and creme de cacao.

For MxMo, I wanted to experiment with that idea, but create something a little more complex. I have been enjoying the bottle of Kahlúa Cream I received as a sample, and have enjoyed it with rum as well, so I used that as a base.

I haven’t worked too much with the bottle of Zwack I also received to sample, although I greatly enjoyed the lunch the brand sponsored for Drink.Write 2009. When I added it to my rum and Kahlúa Cream, I was surprised at how well it worked. I added my current favorite bitters, Bittermens Xocalatl, to add an additional layer of flavor, and was really pleased with the result.

Kávé

0.75 ounces dark Jamaican rum (Appleton V/X)
0.75 ounces Zwack
0.75 ounces Kahlúa Cream
2 dashes Bittermens Xocalatl mole bitters

Shake over ice until well chilled, then strain into ice-filled old fashioned glass.

The bitter herbal Zwack keeps the sweetness of the Kahlúa Cream in check, and the rich dark rums rounds out and ties the flavors together. I can also imagine trying these flavors together with warm milk for a nice winter drink.

What is your favorite way to use cream liqueurs?

Thanks to eGullet for this fun theme. Be sure to check the forum to see everybody who has participated!

The Campari Dolce

Stevi — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:28:02 +0000

Has this ever happened to you? You invent a new drink, and you think it’s the greatest thing ever. You sweat over a good name, you brag about it to all your friends. And then you forget about it. You remember a few months later, and try it again, and cannot imagine what lead you to think it was a great drink.

Campari Dolce

Happily, this is not the case with the Campari Dolce. I invented this drink at a Thursday Drink Night in October. The ingredient for the night was honey mix. I wanted to balance the sweetness with a good dose of bitterness, and had just started experimenting with Campari, so it seemed a natural ingredient to try. I decided to use gin as my base, and some orange bitters to add depth. It was one of those drinks that came together naturally. I was of course happy when the other participants that night seemed to like it, and even happier when it was declared the winning drink for the night.

In my never ending quest to try new drinks, the Campari Dolce fell off my radar until last night. I thought I would try it again, and see how my old friend was. I was delighted to discover I still really like the drink!

Campari Dolce

1.5 oz London dry gin (Right Gin)
1 oz Campari
0.5 oz honey mix
2 dashes orange bitters (Angostura Orange)

Stir ingredients over ice for 30 seconds or more, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with brandied cherries.

Honey mix is one part honey to one part water. Heat over low heat until they mix, then store in the fridge. This makes the honey far more mixable than straight.

At the original TDN, I offered up a slight variation for those who are still intimidated by the bitterness of Campari.

Campari Dolce Variation

1.5 oz London dry gin (Right Gin)
1 oz Campari
0.75 oz honey mix

0.5 oz bianco vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters (Angostura Orange)

Have any drinks you invented stood the test of time?

BarSol Quebranta Pisco and the Sol de Oro

Stevi — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 07:02:32 +0000

I never get tired of mentioning that I first discovered pisco on a trip to Peru. It was also in Peru that I discovered my other love, Peruvian horses.

Imagine my delight when a bottle of BarSol Quebranta Pisco arrived for review. Not only was it a pisco, but it featured a logo of a Peruvian horse and rider, which gave me an excellent chance to refer to my beloved horses on my cocktail blog.

Sol de Oro (V)

On to the pisco. BarSol Quebranta is a pisco puro. Puro indicates that the pisco is made from only one variety of grape, in this case the quebranta, a non-aromatic black grape variety developed in Peru. The BarSol is very dry on the nose, and that holds true in the glass. While this definitely tastes like a pisco, it’s far less sweet and robust than the acholados I tend to prefer. The BarSol is more refined and subtle than most piscos I’ve been able to find in the US. This makes it a very mixable form of grape brandy.

Naturally, when I first opened the bottle, I immediately had to make pisco sours. The BarSol makes a delightful pisco sour, very drinkable. I recommend you experiment with the right ratio of simple syrup and lime juice for your palate. I also like to occasionally use a mix of half lemon juice and half lime juice, but I find a pisco sour with all lemon juice is never quite right. And don’t be fooled into trying Meyer lemons. They do not belong in a pisco sour.

Sol de Oro Cocktail

Next it was time to experiment with a new pisco drink. Aside from the sour and pisco punch, there aren’t that many great pisco-based cocktails. Yes, I do like the piscadora, and apparently San Francisco is attempting to fill the void with a rash of new pisco bars. I live further north, however, and must amuse myself with taunting my local bartenders for carrying Chilean pisco.

I’ve experimented with pisco on several TDNs, but nothing has quite worked. But on a hunch, I started experimenting with apricot brandy, and liked the initial taste. I started with Marie Brizard Apry, but found it a little too robust to find the right balance without resorting to soda water or champagne to lengthen the drink. Instead I switched to Rothman & Winter’s Orchard Apricot, which is lighter, and let the pisco sing through.

I also found that my favorite fortified wine, Lillet blanc, didn’t mix well in this context. Instead, using Martini & Rossi bianco vermouth brought the lightness. As I mentioned, the quebranta is quite dry, so I still wanted a touch of sweetness. I turned to orgeat to give an extra layer of flavor, and was not disappointed. The last note came from Fee Brothers lemon bitters, which adds a final brightness that blends all the ingredients together.

Sol de Oro

1.5 oz pisco (BarSol quebranta)
1 oz bianco vermouth
0.75 oz apricot brandy (Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot)
0.25 oz orgeat
2 dashes lemon bitters

Stir over ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Oro Ocultado

I do tend to prefer this a little sweet; if you prefer a drier cocktail, reduce the orgeat, but don’t eliminate it completely. It adds depth to the overall drink.

Since this is my first successful pisco cocktail I want to share with the world, I had to name it after Sol de Oro (Viejo), the most important modern stallion in the Peruvian breed. The port of Pisco is located in the Ica region of Peru, and Sol de Oro was discovered in the quebradas (valleys) of Ica region. Sol de Oro is the grandsire of my first Peurvian horse, Oro Ocultado, so he holds a special place in my heart.

What flavors do you think work best with pisco?

MxMo XXXV: Broaden Your Horizons — The Paquimé Cocktail

Stevi — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:46:01 +0000

Lo and behold, it’s another Mixology Monday! This 35th incarnation is being hosted by The Scribe at A Mixed Dram, and he bids us: Broaden Your Horizons. Try a new base spirit, a new technique, anything, just as long as it’s something new for you.

The Scribe is apparently precognitive, because the base spirit he gave as an example, tequila, is one that’s fairly foreign to me. Just last week I put up my first post that included tequila. In that post, I included a drink that was new to me, the Witch’s Kiss, but not an invention of my own. Because I’ve never tried to create a tequila cocktail.

Well, that’s not exactly true. I did once create a cocktail that included tequila. After trying the Piscadora, and reading that tequila went well with creme de cassis, I tried mixing tequila, lime juice, crème de cassis, and ginger beer. It was fantastic! I was so excited to share this new drink.

Luckily, I did a little research before posting about it, and turns out, I’d gone full circle. The Piscadora was probably inspired by the Diablo, a well-known drink.

Since then, I haven’t had the heart or incentive to experiment with tequila. Thanks to MxMo, now I do!

Paquimé Cocktail

At first, I thought I might try to work on what I knew went well with tequila. If orange liqueur mixed well for a margarita, maybe apricot liqueur would also work. I tried both Orchard Apricot and Marie Brizard’s Apry, and both were total duds. The apricot flavor and the tequila just didn’t blend well, and in fact turned rather unpleasant in my mouth.

I had promised myself I would not resort to crème de cassis, but I wanted something with a strong flavor to take on the tequila. That’s when I thought I might try Cherry Heering. Heering can quickly dominate a drink, but in small quantities, brings a lot of rich flavor. To add some depth, I added some Licor 43 (Quarenta y Tres). To make it a little drier and less potent, I added some dry vermouth. And finally added some Angostura orange bitters to add more balance and some brightness on the nose. I was very satisfied with the result.

Paquimé Cocktail

1.5 oz platinum tequila (Inocente)
0.5 oz Licor 43
0.5 oz dry vermouth
0.25 oz Cherry Heering
2 dashes Angostura orange bitters

Stir over ice and strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with brandied cherries.

The tequila is still present in this cocktail, but the Cherry Heering and Licor 43 bring a nice roundness and softness to it, which the vermouth keeps it from being too sweet.

As for the name, Paquimé is an archaeological zone in Chihuahua, Mexico. It’s also the name of a cooperative that is picking cherries that are being grown in Chihuahua. So in honor of them, I name the drink.

A big thanks to the Scribe for suggesting that we broaden our horizons. It’s always fun to be encourage to expand my repetoir, and this experiment taught me a lot about how to match flavors. Be sure to check out A Mixed Dram for the round-up post!

Tuaca Italian Liqueur and the Livorno Cocktail

Stevi — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:31:12 +0000

My initial association with the word Tuaca is a horse. Why someone named a Quarter Horse after an Italian liqueur, I’ll never know. I’ll admit I was surprised to discover the current owner of Tuaca the horse had never heard of Tuaca the liqueur. Then again, even though I had heard of it, I don’t think I’d ever tasted it until receiving a sample recently.

Tuaca claims to be the resurrection of a recipe initially created for Lorenzo de’Medici (1449 – 1492). Often called “the Magnificent,” he was the de facto ruler of the Florentine Republic, and remembered as a patron to artists such as Michaelangelo and Botticelli. The modern label of Tuaca depicts the scene on the “Gates of Paradise,” bronze doors created by Lorenzo Ghiberti in 1425 for the Duomo Cathedral in Florence.

Livorno Cocktail

As the story goes, Gaetano Tuoni and Giorgio Canepa recreated this liqueur in 1938 and originally named it “Tuoca,” a portmaneau of their names. The drink became popular with U.S. soldiers stationed in the Livorno area during World War II, and eventually was exported to America in the 1950s and has been generally available since.

Tuaca starts with a brandy from the Emilia Romagna region, then sweetened with natural sugar to make it a liqueur. Several flavor essences, primarily vanilla, orange, and lemon, and then infused into the liqueur.

This is a truly delightful liqueur. The smell is soft and sweet, with vanilla being the most distinctive scent. This natural, soft vanilla predominates on the tongue, followed by a rich butterscotch. The lemon and orange citrus provide undertones. As a liqueur, it is by definition quite sweet, but this one does manage to provide an excellent balance of flavor. I shared a sip with several friends, all of whom agreed it was something they wanted more of.

Since Tuaca is based on brandy, I thought I might try to make a sidecar variation with it. I’m not the first one to try this, of course. I think my version provides a tart version while using Tuaca as the primary ingredient.

Motocarrozzetta

2 oz Tuaca
1.5 oz Meyer lemon juice
0.5 oz orange liqueur (Citronge)

Following the Motocarrozzetta, I wanted something a little drier. I thought Hayman’s Old Tom Gin might make a nice mix with the Tuaca. To that I added a good dose of Lillet, and some orange bitters to highlight the citrus in the Tuaca. The resulting cocktail is refreshingly crisp, with a pleasant vanilla flavor.

Livorno Cocktail

1.5 oz old tom gin (Hayman’s)
0.75 oz Lillet blanc
0.25 oz Tuaca
2 dashes orange bitters

Stir over ice, strain into cocktail glass.

As a huge fan of vanilla, I’m really pleased to find a liqueur that provides such a fragrant, balanced addition of the flavor. I suspect I’ll be using it to add that taste to more combinations in the future.

Have you tried Tuaca? How do you feel it compares to other brandy based liqueurs?

Zen Green Tea Liqueur and the Matcha Cocktail

Stevi — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:53:14 +0000

I have fond memories of witnessing a traditional Zen Buddhist tea ceremony at the Smithsonian Museum. We were given small sweets, and after the ceremony, a taste of the matcha tea. It was bitter and strong, not like any tea I had tasted before. I can still remember that taste today. Thus, when I read on the back of the Zen Green Tea Liqueur bottle I received that it used matcha tea, I was intrigued.

Matcha Cocktail

Zen Green Tea Liqueur, produced in Japan, infuses ground and whole green tea leaves, lemongrass and other herbs and flavors in a neutral grain base. The final product is 40 proof (20% ABV).

I initially tasted the liqueur at room temperature, straight from the bottle. The liqueur is a more muddled green than I expected. I found this promising, in that it made me feel the drink was less reliant on artificial colors.

The nose was sweet. I could place the lemongrass. On the tongue, the sweetness was dominant. I sensed the green tea mostly in the aftertaste, and it was reminiscent of my memory of those tastes of green tea at the ceremony I had attended.

Next I tried it over ice, which really quieted the sweetness. The green tea flavors were far more forward and dominant, although still not strongly present on the nose. The lemongrass was lost completely. The flavor did remind me of green tea ice cream, minus the dairy.

This isn’t a particularly complex liqueur. What it has to offer is a unique flavor profile in the matcha green tea. In a chilled cocktail, you can bring out the green tea flavor, but the mix must be aware of the sweetness this low proof liqueur brings.

I spent some time trying to think of a cocktail using Zen Green Tea Liqueur. Then I remembered my last trip to Zig Zag Cafe. I’d asked Murray Stenson to make me a drink to follow he Rembrandt I had just finished. He turned around to look at the bottles arrayed behind him, and came up with a tasty libation for me. I asked him to write it down, and managed to keep the coaster all this time.

I made a couple of small changes. The biggest change was to switch the garnish. Murray used a pearl onion. I decided to go with a red pepper stuffed olive. I also gave the drink a name.

Matcha Cocktail

1.75 oz London dry gin (No. 209)
0.5 oz Zen Green Tea Liqueur
0.5 oz bianco vermouth (Martini & Rossi Bianco)
0.25 oz Grand Marnier
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir over ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with red pepper stuffed green olive. Based on original by Murray Stenson, Zig Zag Cafe, Seattle, WA.

The resulting cocktail is a coppery gold, the combination of the Zen Green Tea Liqueur, Angostura bitters, and bianco vermouth. The drink does start quite sweet on the palate, but the high level of gin plus the bitters and the green tea aftertaste keep it in check. I picked a very large olive, that brought just enough brine to the party to dilute the sweetness towards the end and give a nice, palate cleansing bite. To make it less sweet, make it a little dirty, or use a dry vermouth in place of the bianco.

What flavors can you imagine pairing with green tea?