Antoni

Boxes and Booze

Jul 27

During a recent visit to Barcelona, a friend and I met to enjoy one of the region’s most beloved spirits together, vermouth (or ‘vermut’ if we are being properly Spanish about it). The Reus region south of Barcelona is probably the most famous place to enjoy the best of the spirit, made from unique wine infusions with local herbs, botanicals and spices. The few common brands of vermouth you are likely to find in the US will be great for a Manhattan or Negroni, but smaller batch, boutique and artisan vermouths are also becoming more readily available here. Those are best enjoyed on their own, with an olive and a wedge of orange, over ice. To “do a vermouth” is literally a pastime in Spain, and something I can heartily endorse.

During the course of our puzzling conversation, I mentioned a recent pilgrimage of sorts that I undertook on an earlier trip to Paris. Chartreuse, the ancient herbal liqueur made by the Carthusian monks in Voiron, France, has been somewhat scarce as of late due to increased global demand, and the monks have famously refused to increase production. They did, on the other had, recently open a new boutique in the St Germaine neighborhood of Paris, and I spent a happy hour there. As it turns out, the herbal elixir used to be produced in a different distillery, located in Taragonia, Spain, across the street from where Jordi now lives. He had recently enjoyed an ancient vintage of the liqueur at a friendly gathering.

So in the spirit of all these wonderful Catalan stories, I’m raising a glass of special spirits to the Gaudis chest and its creator. A favorite low alcohol percentage (low “ABV”) classic cocktail template I enjoy is a fifty-fifty mix of sherry and vermouth. When using dry vermouth this is known as a Bamboo, and when using sweet vermouth, an Adonis. The proportions of each component can be adjusted for palate and taste, and orange or other bitters added as well. There are innumerable variations on the theme. For this toast, I used a bitter sweet Spanish vermouth, and also added a touch of green Chartreuse to complete the story. The herbal liqueur balances the sweet vermouth perfectly, and the drink is sensational. Here’s to the puzzling pursuit of creative artistry – salut!