I love cocktails that are full of herbaceousness. (Got that right without spell check!)
So whenever I’m dining in a higher-end restaurant, where I see that mixology matters to them as much as the food, I take advantage of their knowledgeable bartenders and have them create something special for me to try.
Coppa and Toro are two Boston restaurants that often have cocktails that inspire. This drink, named “Hey Neon,” is from Coppa, and is a favorite that I regularly re-create at home for myself.
Aquavit is a favorite in many a Scandinavian bar. Imagine vodka infused with caraway seeds, and you have a pretty good idea of what it’s all about, though there are other flavored aquavits as well.
Punt e Mes is a sweet vermouth from Italy, from the house of Carpano, the folks that also make the king of all vermouths: Antica Formula.
Cynar is a fascinating artichoke-flavored bitter liqueur from the folks that bring you Campari.
Chartreuse is naturally green in color, and they claim it’s made by Carthusian monks since 1737, from a secret recipe of 130 plants. There’s also a milder yellow Chartreuse. Both are now very hard to find, and very expensive if you do, but you only need a tiny amount.
The Coppa finished drink:
HEY NEON
1.5 oz. Aalborg aquavit
.75 oz. Punt e Mes
.5 oz. Cynar
.5 oz. green Chartreuse
Finely minced, dehydrated kalamata olives
Combine the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some ice. Stir briskly and strain into a rocks glass rimmed with the minced kalamata olives.
My home version:
I tried mincing and dehydrating the kalamata olives, like they do at Coppa. But the oils in the olives kept them from drying out enough, even in a dehydrator. Maybe I was just too impatient for a drink! And I couldn’t get the minced olives to stick to the rim of my glass.
My solution was pretty simple: pour the drink into a martini glass and serve with a skewer of kalamatas. Works for me!
Live the Live ™ 