My Favourite Cocktail – “Nighthawk”

By Gabriella Mlynarczyk

lalovingcup.com

One of my favorite tipples is the love child of mama Negroni and papa Manhattan; it’s a variation, called a Boulevardier, which is made traditionally with 1/3 American Whiskey, 1/3 Campari and a 1/3 Sweet Vermouth, stirred and served up, then finished with a wisp of lemon oil on the rim, created by New York’s Harry McElhone in 1927.

It’s a drink that is richer than the Negroni and more nuanced than the Manhattan. The Negroni I usually reserve for warm summer afternoons or pre-dinner tipples and the Manhattan, whilst steady and easily replicated at many a bar, to me can be a bit uninteresting at times. The Boulevardier as a choice has yet to bore to me, the ingredients of which can be switched out to add even more interesting variations.

The Tasting Kitchen is the hot spot bar in Venice, California, a cross between a Gastropub and farm-to-table destination diner, lets just call it my local! The head barkeep  there, one Justin Pike came up with a lovely version he called the Nighthawk – Rye Whiskey, Cynar, Amaro and Bitters, finished with an Orange Twist. As a self confessed Amaro junkie, it was the cocktail I craved for months, until they took it off the menu. Unfortunately,they would not divulge the exact ingredients (bartenders can be a bit of a secretive bunch!), thus  forcing me to come up with my own recipe.

I tinkered with the Amaro , both portion and type, and came up with this beauty, which, ahem, I think quite delicious!

 

Try it…..

Nighthawk Cocktail

2 oz Rye

¾ oz Cynar

½ oz Cio Ciaro Amaro

2 dashes chocolate chilli bitters such as the LA favorite Miracle Mile Bitters.

Orange twist as both perfume and accessory  .

 

Stir everything except the twist over ice, strain into a chilled glass , spritz with orange oil and toss twist in the glass.

 

Slainte!