Presbyterian's Revenge
It’s been a strange week in America. The president has Covid-19 and we’re a month away from the election. Am I the only one that feels like we’re living in a tv drama? I keep waiting for Olivia Pope from Scandal to show up. In other strange news, I’ve decided I like scotch. First I made that cocktail I shared a couple of weeks ago, the Penicillin. Then this past week, I found a cocktail that called for blended scotch along with Cynar, called Presbyterian’s Revenge. Cynar (pronounced CHEE-NAR) is an Italian liqueur in the Amari family. Amari are considered digestifs, often served as an after dinner drink to settle one’s stomach. After this week’s news, a cocktail that might settle my mind and stomach seemed worth trying! Cynar is made up of many different herbs but its main ingredient is artichokes! I don’t really pick up on an artichoke flavor. It reminds me of a more mellow Campari.
Speaking of Campari, the Presbyterian’s Revenge is somewhat like a Scottish Negroni. It has a similar complexity of flavors, though Cynar is not as bitter or syrupy as Campari. I really like how it works with the scotch, for which I used Compass Box Artist’s Blend. The cocktail calls for equal parts lemon juice and simple syrup for added citrus and sweetness. The garnish is a big peel of grapefruit that you squeeze over the top of the drink. For me, this elevates the cocktail and is a game changer. The fragrance of the grapefruit zest really brings it all together. Admittedly, I tend to nerd out on cocktails but the details in these drinks matter. We don’t just throw garnishes on for the hell of it! Every component needs to serve a purpose. Occasionally, we add a twist of something only to make a drink look pretty. However, for this particular cocktail, I will be so bold as to say if you don’t have a grapefruit, hold off on making this one until you have it. That zest matters here! As you take a sip, you’ll immediately smell the grapefruit which makes the citrus in the drink taste brighter. Trust me on this! If like me, you’ve previously thought you weren’t into scotch, I encourage you to give this drink a try! Strange things are afoot, maybe you will find it takes the edge off this crazy time in American politics! Enjoy!
Presbyterian’s Revenge
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz blended scotch (I used Compass Box, Artist’s Blend)
3/4 oz Cynar
1/4 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz simple syrup (syrup made with 1 part water, 1 part sugar)
large peel of grapefruit, as garnish
Method:
Combine scotch, Cynar, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled and strain into an old fashioned glass with one large ice cube. Twist the grapefruit peel over the cocktail before draping the peel over the ice.
