Dardy Ginsky

Dedicated to Dardy Minsky who recently passed but loved her Martinis back in the day! This is a twist on a classic Vesper which is a Martini that breaks all the rules: mixes gin and vodka, is shaken and not stirred and uses a Lillet Blanc rather than a dry vermouth. Our Dardy Ginsky pushes the envelope even more and the result is divine. Swapping out the Lillet Blanc for Cocchi Americano Aperitvo, a delicious aromatized wine from Italy with hints of mandarin and white flowers and adding a few dashes of orange bitters to accentuate the citrus notes. Breaking the rules tastes pretty damn good.

Ingredients:

2 oz Gin (I like to use one with more citrus notes than juniper like Tanqueray No. Ten)

1/2 oz Vodka

1/4 oz Cocchi Americano Aperitivo

2 dashes Orange bitters

Method:

Add all ingredients with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist…..so easy and so delicious!

** Bonus use for Cocchi Americano**

Here in the US we are not accustomed to drinking aperitifs, low alcohol drinks which are meant to open the appetite and to be enjoyed before a meal, whereas in many European countries it is part of culture. For a low alcohol, easy to make drink, do as the Italians and add 2 oz of Cocchi Americano to a rocks glass filled with ice. Add a little splash of soda on top and 2 dashes of orange bitters (optional) and garnish with a twist of orange. Trust me, it’s hard to stop drinking this!