Hello, Handsome!

helloHandsome

Hello, Handsome!

  • 2.0 oz. Cognac
  • 0.75 oz. sweet vermouth
  • 1 dash orange bitters

Stir with ice and strain into coupe imbued with smoked cherry wood chips.
Garnish with Maraschino cherry.

This was the first cocktail that I not only imagined, but made for my Young Frankenstein collection. I bought my new favorite toy, The Smoking Gun, after seeing it employed for a number of drinks during my trip to Sydney. Basically, you put wood chips in it, light the chips, and smoke is produced out of a long rubber tube, which can be used to infuse in food or cocktails.

For this drink I used Cognac from a Sidecar, part of the sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica) from a Negroni and orange bitters from a Martini. While that is mixed and stirred, I turn a coupe over on the counter and fill it with cherry wood smoke. When the drink is ready, the coupe is flipped, releasing the smoke. The drink is poured in and a cherry from a Manhattan is dropped in. You get nice hints of smoke without it being overwhelming, which I think plays nicely with the Cognac.

Of course, the kitchen smokes up something fierce during this process and lasts for an hour or two. Small price to pay.

2 comments

  1. I’m still lovin that young frankenstein theme you got going on. I recently stumbled upon cognac and vermouth and quite liked it but the thing with cognac is that I would rather drink almost anything else when it comes to cocktails. Maybe one day, when I’m sitting in a room that smells of sweet mahogany with many leather bound books, I’ll enjoy this spirit.

    • tyard says:

      Ha! I get that. I like it, but if I am drinking something straight I’ll go for Scotch, and if mixed it isn’t my first choice, no. But I love a Vieux Carre, and wouldn’t mind a room of sweet mahogany and leather bound books either.

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