SPIRITS SUBSTITUTIONS

HOW TO MIX UP YOUR FAVORITE COCKTAILS AT HOME

A traditional Negroni features gin, Campari, and vermouth, but swapping in bourbon or mezcal for the gin can be a nice twist. Mastering the mechanics of a favorite cocktail provides an innate sense of satisfaction. Your go-to is ready on demand without needing to go to the bar, and when it comes time to entertain a few friends or host a dinner party, there’s an impressive welcome drink all queued up.

Now, you can take your mastery of the fine imbibing arts one step further by riffing on classics to produce fun twists.

This happens to be how much of the cocktail pantheon was constructed, after all. “That’s what we do, maybe 80% of all drinks began with substitutions or changes from classic drinks we already have,” says Andrea Delvo, the head bartender at the Renaissance Bar in Badrutt’s Palace, St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Consider the Negroni, an equal parts combination of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth. “Well I love the Boulevardier, with whiskey instead of gin!” Delvo says. Indeed, switch in bourbon for gin and you have another classic on your hands. For a trendy, more modern adjustment, try a mezcal Negroni (sidebar) to add a sultry, smoky punch.

At San Diego’s Raised by Wolves, bartender Connor Fitzpatrick likes to riff on an Old-Fashioned with the sweet tones of rum, creating the Corn n’ Oil. “It’s an excellent blend of tropical flavors in every sip, performing a beautiful dance with strong ginger and spice,” he says. “I use Denizen 8 Year Merchant’s Reserve, which is not only one of my favorite rums, but also an extremely diverse bottle for most rum cocktails.”

At Badrutt’s Palace, Delvo created his 1956, a Manhattan riff with amaro in place of sweet vermouth and boosted with the alluring smoky notes of Lapsang Souchong tea. The flavors mimic peaty Scotch, but also nod to the drink’s namesake, the year Fidel Castro and company landed on Cuba amid an escalating revolution that would eventually distance the noted pleasure of Cuban cigar smoke from the palates of many connoisseurs.

When the creative mood strikes at home, consider a flavor-based approach and keep an open mind to what you might discover along the way. “I find exploration half the fun,” Fitzpatrick says. “Focus on your favorite flavors, and if you’re switching out something sweet, replace it with another sweet thing. Same for bitter items.”

For instance, besides his rum-based Old-Fashioned, you might be inspired to give tequila a spin in the drink. In this case, consider using agave syrup as the sweetener to align with those flavors.

Another simple entry point for at-home experimentation is splitting an existing ingredient with a new addition to push a drink forward without unrecognizably altering it. Perhaps it’s using half grapefruit and lime juice in that next batch of margaritas. Or try splitting the dry vermouth in a martini with sweet vermouth, and vice versa for a Manhattan, and you’ll create what’s known as the “perfect” martini or Manhattan.

Of course, the real perfect at-home cocktail is the one that best suits your own palate and preferences, and the path toward unlocking it should very much be an entertaining journey in addition to a rewarding destination.

COCKTAIL RECIPES WITH A TWIST

CORN N’ OIL

A RUM OLD-FASHIONED By Connor Fitzpatrick, Raised by Wolves

1.5

0.5 0.25

2 ounces well-aged rum Fitzpatrick uses Denizen 8 Year Merchant’s Reserve ounce falernum ounce black strap rum Fitzpatrick uses Cruzan dashes Angostura bitters Lime peel

directions:

Pour the rum, falernum, and bitters into a rocks glass with a large ice cube.

Cut a dime-size wheel off of the top of a lime with mostly peel but a bit of fruit.

Express into the glass, drop it in, and stir together.

Float the black strap rum on top of the drink by pouring slowly over the back of a spoon.

MEZCAL NEGRONI

1 1 1 ounce mezcal ounce Campari ounce sweet vermouth Orange peel for garnish

directions:

Stir all ingredients well with ice, and strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

1956

A SMOKY AMARO MANHATTAN By Andrea Delvo, Renaissance Bar at Badrutt’s Palace

1.75

1

1 ounces rye whiskey Delvo uses Woodford Reserve ounce Ramazzotti or similar amaro teaspoon Lapsang Souchong syrup (See below) Orange peel for garnish

directions:

Shake all ingredients well with ice, and strain into a coupe or martini glass.

Garnish with an expressed orange peel.

LAPSANG SOUCHONG SYRUP: directions:

Heat 1 ounce loose leaf tea in a dry pan. Roast until aromatic, being careful not to burn. Add 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar, stirring until dissolved. Reduce mixture until thickened, and strain out tea. Store in the refrigerator.