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.
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.
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.