Taste CHEERS
CHANDON NO. 5 A fresh, floral cocktail fit for spring
BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ / PHOTO BY ELIZABETH BARRY
Oscar Wilde’s classic 1891 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is the inspiration for Dorian, a restaurant that opened in Old Town Scottsdale earlier this year. “For those unfamiliar, the story is set in Victorian England and follows the handsome and lustful Dorian Gray, who sells his soul to remain young forever so that he can indulge in life’s pleasures,” says lead bartender Caleb Taddeucci. “But don’t worry, while the restaurant and menu look and taste the part – with Victorian accents and a focus on classic, elegant ingredients – your soul is safe with us.” To give the cocktail program a decidedly upscale feel akin to the novel’s seemingly endless indulgences, many of the drinks are topped with bubbles. One of particular note is the Chandon No. 5 ($10). The cocktail begins with Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin, which has notes of rose, peach and raspberry. “The botanicals were specially selected and are individually macerated and then distilled to give the gin its distinctive, fruit-forward flavor,” Taddeucci says. The gin is combined with The Bitter Truth Violet Liqueur, which is made from wild violet blossoms that grow in the Bavarian Alps and is also what gives the cocktail its luminous bluish violet hue. Taddeucci then adds fresh lemon juice to give the drink some tang and acid. The mixture is shaken and then strained into a coupe glass before being topped with Chandon Brut Classic Champagne. “Known for its flavors of apple, pear and citrus as well as its soft, dry finish, the Chandon adds a lightness, ever-so-slight sweetness, and refreshing effervescence to the very floral-forward cocktail,” says Taddeucci, who garnishes the drink with a twist of lemon. Dorian, 7419 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale; 480.907.5635; www.dorianscottsdale.com.
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So Scottsdale! April ‘18