Recipe
- 1oz Calvados (or apple brandy)
- 1oz Amaro Montenegro
- 1oz sweet vermouth (I used Carpano Antica)
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Cinnamon stick and whole cloves
Torch the cinnamon and cloves for a couple seconds. Put a glass upside down over top and let it fill with smoke. Meanwhile, stir all other ingredients with ice. Add a large ice cube into the smoke-filled glass, and strain the liquid into it. Garnish with a brandied cherry and a flamed cinnamon stick (reburn if needed for that awesome smoky aroma)
About
Weather-wise, it’s prettttyy much fall all year round in San Francisco (50-60s), but since fall is finally hitting the rest of the Northern Hemisphere, it’s now appropriate to load up on all the delicious flavors of autumn. This is a Negroni variant that will get you ready to wrap yourself up in the largest blanket scarf you own (or just throw a regular blanket around your neck), carve a cocktail coupe into a pumpkin, and stock up on Bath & Body Work’s Leaves and Mahogany Teakwood candles.
Subbing in French Calvados (apple brandy) for gin, I paired it with the orange-y floral Amaro Montenegro in place of Campari. A dash of the warmly spiced Angostura bitters adds just the right amount of spice and body to the drink. That aside, the best part about this drink is the smoke. Grab a cinnamon stick, a few cloves, and let it burn! A butane kitchen torch costs less than $20 on Amazon and is probably one of the best kitchen tool investments ever (is it overkill I used a torch to light birthday candles?)