Night Bird

Night Bird by Karli Sandos

The imagery of a tomb, and the afterlife, evoke pictures of the dark of evening to me, so I will toast this beautiful bird with a nightcap. The drink, from Iowa bartender Karli Sandos, is based on the Boulevardier, a bourbon, vermouth and Campari combination similar to the Negroni but with whiskey in place of gin. The drink is notable for its use of Averna, a dark brown Italian amaro from Caltanissetta, Sicily. The secret recipe of local herbs, spices and botanicals was originally passed down from the Benedictine monks of Abbazia Di Santo Spirito as a gift to textile merchant Salvatore Averna in 1868. Although the incredibly popular amari is now owned by the Campari group, it is still made using the original recipe.

Sandos explains the origins of the drink: “I wanted a nightcap to share post-service with my then partner on the patio in the late summer months. Our favorite garnish for Averna on the rocks is sage (we went through every herb in the walk-in to be sure), and his favorite drink was a boulevardier so I set out to tie these concepts together in a seasonally appropriate way. Cucumber lightened the build and a sage tincture enhanced the herbal-aromatic combination, resulting in a really smooth, pleasant drink to share after all of the chaos of the night had come to a close.” The best way to enhance the aromas of an herb or botanical that will play into the complete drink experience is to give it a little slap to wake it up. Sandos uses a different term she got from her “bar grandma”, a former beverage director she worked with who added a bit of “good ol cheeky fun” to the routine – she disciplines her herbs.

This recipe offers sage advice

I’ve said it before, that puzzle boxes and cocktails have more in common than you might realize. The people who are drawn to these pastimes tend to incredibly generous and inclusive, and that certainly applies to the makers as well. Take Sandos’s drink making philosophy as an example: “In addition to mixing drinks, I work in hospitality marketing. For both roles, the job is to understand the available goods and what interests who we’re offering them to – I want to deliver authenticity to the establishment’s concept and approachability to our audience. You can make the most delicious, adventurous recipe but if it’s disinteresting or confusing to your guests you won’t sell a single one. My goal is to understand what attracted a patron to our counter and then deliver that – usually with the introduction of a little something extra, for fun.”

Averna is one of the most approachable Italian bitters available, considered sweeter than most with an almost caramel like flavor. Like most amari, the exact recipe is a closely guarded secret, but it boasts flavors of anise, citrus, juniper berries, myrtle, rosemary, and sage, which Sandos highlights in this drink. Here’s to the memories of the past reflected in the beauty of the present. Cheers.

Birds of a feather

Night Bird by Karli Sandos

1 ½ oz rye whiskey

½ oz Averna

¾ oz sweet vermouth

2 dashes sage tincture

3 cucumber slices

Muddle the cucumber in a mixing glass, then add the remaining ingredients and shake with ice. Strain into a favorite glass and garnish with a “disciplined” sage leaf.

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