Crop Top
A few months ago, a friend was introducing me to her husband and mentioned that I wrote a cocktail blog. Then she paused to ask, “wait, are you still doing that?” To which I replied, “Oh, I know. I keep meaning to get to it and then I end up making a basic drink and that’s about all I have the energy for.” She made me feel a bit better with her follow up question, “Why’s that? Because everything sucks and you’re not inspired?” We both laughed that sad knowing laugh because 2022 hasn’t exactly unfolded the way any of us had hoped. I don’t know if I’ve been depressed or just baseline getting by but my motivation for most things “extra” has been MIA. Oh, and last month, I finally got the covid after avoiding it all this time. I didn’t have an easy time with it and it’s taken me 3 weeks to finally get some energy back. That fatigue is no joke! This week I’ve been tackling my neglected garden chores and after today’s weeding session, I thought, “it’s time to get back to my cocktails.” For while it’s true that life can be sad and frustrating, there are many moments of joy. One of those is seeing my garden come back to life and another is making a pretty beverage at the end of the day. So as they say, “Onward!”
Today I made a recipe that I found in Death & Co’s book “Cocktail Codex” named the Crop Top. The cocktail was created by Devon Tarby and it’s a riff on The Last Word and a Sidecar. The Crop Top uses a similar formula with equal parts of all ingredients. Many of my favorite drinks are made this way. It’s easy to get right! In the Crop Top, gin meets Amaro Montenegro, grapefruit liqueur, and fresh lemon juice. There’s a nice balance of sweet, tart, and bitter. It’s served in a Nick & Nora glass without a garnish which shows off the liqueurs nicely. I think it tastes like spring. Enjoy!
Crop Top
Ingredients:
3/4 oz gin (I used Citadelle)
3/4 oz Amaro Montenegro
3/4 oz Giffard Crème de Pamplemousse
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chilled and double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.
