Smoked Rosemary Negroni
As the summer begins to retreat and autumn slowly drifts in on the cool evening breezes, it is time to change your cocktail program. There are so many flavors of fall that can be infused into your cocktails. This can be easily done by infusing liquors with a variety of flavor notes including winter herbs like rosemary or the rich chocolatey depths of espresso. Here is the recipe for my smoked rosemary Negroni. Enjoy…
Infusion:
Pour 325 ml of a sweet vermouth (I prefer Carpano Antica Forluma) into an airtight, resealable container. Save the bottle as you will return the infused vermouth to the bottle. In the palm of your hand slap 3-4 springs of rosemary. This will open the leaves of the rosemary allowing the oils to be expressed and infuse in the vermouth. Drop the whole springs in, seal the container and place in a dark area to infuse. Allow the vermouth to infuse for 24-48 hours. The longer it infuses, the stronger the rosemary flavor. When the infusion is complete, strain out and discard the rosemary and return the vermouth to the bottle. The infused vermouth will store in you refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.
Cocktail:
1 ounce London style dry gin (Botanist, Plymouth Navy Strength, or St. George)
1 ounce rosemary infused sweet vermouth
1 ounce Campari
Place each of the above into a mixing glass. Add enough chunks of crystal clear ice so the ice rises above the level of liquid. Stir with a bar spoon for 37-46 seconds. Strain into a chilled rocks glass fitted with a large crystal clear ice cube. Place a sprig of rosemary in the glass and then light it on fire with a cedar match (or another flame source). As is burns place the entire drink under a glass cloche until the flame is extinguished. Remove and serve.
Cheers!
