I’ve been trying to mix the Vesper martini and been constantly frustrated. This may have something to do with me being kind of a doofus.
I’d been using Tanqueray/Stoli/Lillet or Bombay/Ciroc/Lillet and while the results were fine, they lacked the transcendent awesomeness of the Vespers I had been served at Alamo Draft House and 2941.
Then tonight, I finally decided to add the slice of lemon peel the recipe calls for. Previously, I thought this was just a garnish, a formality of minimal significance. Boy, was I wrong. The lemon peel completely makes the drink. I shall never drink another one without it (or something similar to take its place). My eyes are open and my evenings are going to be more delicious from now on.
oft wears hats, did you make sure to twist the lemon peel over the glass and give it a good squeeze, to get more of the yummy oil out? You really want to make sure you do that for maximum deliciousness. You can ‘flame’ the twist as well, it can add flavour depth. To do so, take your peel, form into a corkscrew kind of shape and squeeze over the glass (you’ll see some oil floating on the surface). Then hold the peel over an open flame (I prefer a candle to a lighter, that’s just me). Then drop it into the drink.
silenus Bourbon manhattans… shakes head. That’s all I’m going to say. Bourbon makes some excellent cocktails, a Manhattan isn’t one of them. Glad you’re on the straight and narrow now!
I’ll have to try that, thanks! I’m still working on my peel cutting technique. My first one of the evening had several “peel flakes” floating in it; it was delicious nonetheless. The second one had one large flat peel, which I bent and squeezed a bit before dropping it in.
Also, welcome to the SDMB!
Unrelated to Vespers but good to know nonetheless: Whole Foods tonic is excellent. Three dollars for a six pack (in Northern Virginia, anyway), and it’s made with real cane sugar. Possibly one of the only items at WF that has such a good quality to price ratio. Great for gin & tonics.
Hey, I don’t make them that way! But a lot of bars, even good ones, don’t have a decent rye behind the bar, so they use bourbon as the default.
So far, my favorite base is Russell’s Reserve Rye. I like mine on the flavorful side, so there are a few extra shots from the bitters bottle and an extra cherry in there as well.
But it has to be a quality rye. If the bar doesn’t have a good rye, then I prefer a good bourbon for my old fashioned. If they don’t have a good rye or bourbon, then I punch the bartender in the crotch (I get arrested a lot).
You know what makes an incredible difference in a rye Manhattan? The cherry!!
Substitute an Italian Luxardo cherry for the ice-cream sundae marischino cherry you may be using now.
You’ll be astounded. They are expensive, but worth every penny.
A Vesper martini sounds like it would knock you right on your ass! Not that that’s a bad thing. But yes, citrus peel is like magic. I always try to cut the peel over the glass, so that gorgeous mist of essential oils falls over the drink.
I’ll have to try WF tonic. I got some Fever Tree there and it was delightful, but awfully expensive. And add me to the people who wouldn’t dream of a G&T without lime!
It surely will. I use half-shots when I make one for myself, but that still winds up as basically two shots worth of alcohol. Still, it’s a good drink to nurse, as it’s quite flavorful. I used to hate martinis (real ones, I mean) until I was introduced to the wonders of Lillet Blanc.
I’ll start trying to cut the lemon peel above the glass itself. Those peels are tricky things to cut even on a cutting board, and I’m no stranger to a paring knife.
Why not use a good quality vegetable peeler? A stainless one with some heft does a great job taking the peel without taking too much pith. You can trim the sides for a nicer appearance.
Some people dig 'em, but in my personal and professional opinion, a peeler is better. The zester can be great for culinary and pastry kitchen uses, but the channel blade on most does everything I don’t want it to do for most drink garnishes - cuts a strip that’s too thin, and leaves too much pith. Plus they tend to be a bit pricier. Just my two cents though, I’d rather take a strip off the citrus with the peeler, scrape any pith I don’t want with the back of a knife, and trim the piece to the size and appearance I want.
