Il Panetun

Il Panetun by Michele Garofalo

I’m toasting this marvelous cake which is really a puzzle box with another cake – which is really a cocktail!  The “Jerry Thomas Project” is a speakeasy style bar in the heart of Rome, Italy and home to world renown mixologist Michele Garofalo.  The bar celebrates the “Professor” Jerry Thomas, one of the fathers of cocktails and the original mustachioed bartender from the nineteenth century.  He predated the prohibition era so naming a speakeasy in his honor is a bit anachronistic but we can forgive the artistic license – the drinks there sound fabulous.  Check out their home page, where the secret password hides in plain sight for you to discover.  As a tribute to his home town and their historical cake, Garofalo has created a liquid version.  His “Il Panetun” recreates the panettone as one of the more decadent and delicious holiday cocktails you are likely to consume this season. It features a homemade chocolate sauce and the decadent, quinine based wine Barolo Chinato, which was meant to be paired with chocolate, after all.  The result is simply stunning, rich and utterly delicious.  I’m trying to imagine enjoying one of these with some authentic artisanal panettone simultaneously but my brain keeps short circuiting when I do.  Here’s to special treats and the spirit of indulgence. Who says you can’t solve your puzzle and drink it too?  Cheers!

The combination of chocolate and chinato is heavenly

Il Panetun by Michele Garofalo

1 ½ oz gin

½ oz Grand Marnier

½ oz Barolo Chinato

1 oz homemade chocolate syrup

1 oz heavy cream

1 egg yolk

2 dashes orange bitters

1 dash Angostura bitters

Shake ingredients together vigorously without ice and then again with ice to chill and strain into a favorite glass. Garnish with a Pocky stick or a slice of panettone.

Homemade chocolate syrup: Simmer ¾ cup sultana raisins and zest of 2 oranges with 2 cups water, gently muddling once simmering and cook 6-7 minutes. Strain solids and add ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder at low heat.  Whisk to dissolve then add twice the amount of sugar, combine until smooth.  Cool and bottle, keep refrigerated.  

This pair takes the cake