Coast to Coaster
Coast to Coaster
Mental effort, I would argue, is relatively rare. Most of the time we coast. - Daniel Kahneman
A toast to the coast is clearly in order. I suppose we could have put absolutely any drink on one of these coasters, and that would have been perfectly appropriate. But I love a Negroni, and all of its many permutations, and it just so happens to be Negroni Week, an international charity event held at fine establishments across the globe. So let’s have a Negroni, or one of its many permutations. If you are not familiar with the drink, allow me to introduce you to this potent mix of gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari which was invented over one hundred years ago in Florence. Go out and enjoy one at your local watering hole and support a good cause with a good time.
toast to the coast
I call this version the “Coast to Coaster”. Negroni variations are simple enough affairs. Simply change up the basic ingredients with something different from one or more of the categories. For example, rather than gin, let’s use apple brandy, from America’s oldest continuous distillery, Laird and Company. Laird’s apple brandies have been raising spirits since 1780 from their home in Pennsylvania, on the east coast. Heading west to the opposite coast brings us to Alameda Island in the San Francisco Bay, where the St. George distillery has been making award winning quality spirits that push boundaries and delight palates. Their Bruto amaro, with its citrus, cinnamon, sandalwood and forest woodspice notes, takes the place of Campari here. Finally we need a vermouth to balance and compliment the apple, citrus, and spice, and I chose a sensational blood orange and black pepper sweet vermouth aperitif from Mommenpop in the Napa Valley. Negronis don’t typically have bitters, but just for fun, along the way across the country from coast to coast, somewhere over Minneapolis in the Midwest, I grabbed a dash of Titze’s Wood bitters, for a nice hint of autumn essence which really rounds it all out. Happy Negroni Week, all – cheers!
Coastal living
Coast to Coaster
¾ oz Laird’s apple brandy
¾ oz Mommenpop blood orange aperitif
¾ oz Bruto
Dash Titze’s Wood bitters
Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Garnish with a double “c” lime peel
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