Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

• 1.5 oz. Greek gin (Grace)
• 0.5 oz. Raki (Yenu)
• 0.5 oz. Fernet Menta
• 0.25 oz. apricot liqueur (Rothman and Winter)
• 0.25 oz. cinnamon syrup
• 0.25 oz. lemon juice
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash Angostura Orange bitters

Shake with ice and strain into glass.

I was gifted some raki from a Turkish colleague, so played with some Greek and Turkish ingredients for this tipple, with apricot, cinnamon and mint. Lots of experimentation to get to the final mix, but I love this end result.

The name of course is from the song, made known to me at least through They Might Be Giants. The city changed hands a few times, so I felt captured the composite of ingredients. Have a drink. Or two. And that’s nobody’s business but the Turks.

Emerald Forest

• 2.0 oz. London Dry gin (London #1 Blue Gin)
• 0.5 oz. Cocchi Americano
• 0.25 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
• 0.25 oz. Douglas Fir brandy
• dash of Virtue Alpine Sage bitters

Stir with ice and strain into coupe.

I had the blue gin and wanted to make some jewel hued concoction., so I added the Yellow Chartreuse to create a shade of green, further modified by the Cocchi and fir brandy. Obviously it wasn’t all for color, as the herbaceousness brought things together, with the bitters taming some of the sweetness.

I honestly don’t know about the name. Emerald always makes me think of green and Oz, but I went with Forest over City due to the brandy. I guess there’s a movie with this same title from the 80s that I don’t remember at all.

Sometimes a drink is just a drink and a name is just a name. And you ask for it by name and drink it for what it is. And it all works out.