The Piano Has Been Drinking

I’ve paired the zipper box with something you might find yourself zipping – sorry, sipping – at the end of a romantic evening in a sultry bar or in your own cozy den. The inspiration for the drink took its original cues from a Vietnamese iced coffee, but this nightcap leaves out the condensed milk. What it keeps is the rich coffee, ginger, and cinnamon. The former is by way of Café Amaro, a robust, bittersweet amaro that infuses single origin coffee with botanicals of Juniper Berries, Cardamom, Orange Peel, Star Anise, Spearmint Leaves, Gentian, and Vanilla Beans. The latter is with a pre-batched mix of ginger liqueur and Amaro Angostura. Pre-batching such mixtures that are only needed in small quantities is an industry trick known as the “biz” (as in, use a little of the ginger/amaro business).

A little of this, a little of that ...

The base for this nightcap employs a mix of reposado tequila and blanco mezcal. The spirits anchor the strong amaro flavors and lend a subtle smokiness to the evocative scene. Dry Oloroso sherry balances things out and a few dashes of chocolate bitters makes it all sensational. The cocktail is full of flavor stories and it reminds me of an old Tom Waits song which is the perfect thing to play while enjoying this drink. I made the garnish to reference the song, but it reminded me of a zipper, too. Here’s to the storytellers – cheers!

zip sip

The Piano Has Been Drinking

1 oz reposado tequila

½ oz blanco mezcal

1 oz Café Amaro

½ oz Oloroso sherry

½ oz Ango / Ginger biz*

Dash of Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Lemon twist.

*pre-batch 1:1 Amaro di Angostura and Ginger liqueur