Time for a Drink: Americano
Let's start the weekend right—with a cocktail recipe from Paul Clarke (The Cocktail Chronicles). Need more than one? That kinda week, eh? Here you go. Cheers!
If you read the headline and thought, “Starbucks,” you’re missing out on something here.
While my knowledge of coffee history is sorely lacking, I’d still wager that this Americano predates the now-familiar mix of espresso and hot water. First served in Milan around 1861, this fizzy aperitif became popular among American tourists and expatriates in the early 20th-century, thus earning its name.
The Americano is sometimes derided as an emasculated Negroni; that overlooks the drink’s enduring charms. While less potent in flavor and effect than the Negroni, the Americano is a very agreeable companion on a warm day, especially in the late spring when the barbecue is being brought out of winter storage and the weather invites you to linger outside. Engagingly bitter, slightly sweet, and above all, tall and cold, the Americano suits the season.
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
Americano
Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces Campari
1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth
Club soda
Procedure
Pour Campari and vermouth into an ice-filled highball glass; top with 2-3 ounces of club soda. Garnish with an orange wheel.
View other entries from Cocktail Concoctions.
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4 Comments:
I actually am a big fan of these myself. I went into a serious Campari craze about a year ago which lead to my discovery of the Americano. I highly recommend to anyone looking to try Campari for their first time.
jasonjklaus at 7:08PM on 05/16/08
I love Campari...yum!
Will have to try it this way, never added the vermouth before, sounds good.
I have a Campari cake I love making and I bet adding vermouth to the Campari brushing liquid would be good too.
sadiepix at 7:22PM on 05/16/08
ooh, can you share the recipe for the campari cake?
jenmeansgo at 2:04PM on 05/17/08
Yep-
*Coral Campari Cake:
1 recipe Genoise
1 recipe Creme Anglaise
4 pink grapefruits
3 3/4 cups Campari, plus more for brushing
3/4 cup sugar
---------------------------------------------------------------
*Genoise-
6 eggs, room temp
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour, sifted with a pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp butter, melted
Oven at 350. Set a pan 1/3 full of water on to boil. Grease 2 8 inch round pans. In mixer bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together. Place over simmering water and continue to whisk until the mix is warm and the sugar is dissolved, 3/4 minutes. Place on mixer and beat until it becomes pale and thick, 2/3 minutes.
With a spatula, fold in the sifted flour 1/3 at a time. Add vanilla and butter, folding til just incorporated.
Fill the cake pans and bake in the center of the oven 20-30 minutes til done. Remove from pans and cool.
*Creme Anglaise
4 egg yolks
3 tbsp sugar
2 cups half and half
1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla)
Whisk yolks and 2 tbsp sugar together. Scald the half and half with last tbsp sugar plus the vanilla bean (or add vanilla extract after scalding)
Temper the egg mix with 1/3 of the cream, then add to the rest of the cream in the pan. Stir over low heat with a wooden spoon until the mix is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil.
Strain thru a fine sieve and remove the vanilla bean. Allow to cool, then refrigerate in a tight container.
*Candied Peel
Peel one half of a grapefruit. Scrape of the white pith and slice into thin strips. Blanch the peel several times to remove bitterness. Bring one cup Campari and 1/2 c. sugar to a boil and cook til the sugar is dissolved. Add the drained peel and boil until the peel is dark pink 3-5 mins. Drain the peel on a wire rack (reserve the boil liquid for cake brushing if desired)
*Grapefruit
Peel and section the fruits, neatly as possible, removing as much of the white pith and membrane as you can. Bring 2 1/2 cups campari to a boil with 1/4 cup sugar and immediately pour over the grapefruit sections. Allow to cool and rest at least 2 hours, or as long as overnight, for the fruit to absorb the color and flavor.
*Assembly-
Slice each cake layer in half to make 2 layers.
Lay one on a plate and brush with the boil syrup mixed with 1/4 cup more Campari, or just sprinkle with Campari. Smooth on a very thin layer of the Creme Anglaise. Top with a second layer and repeat Campari and Creme. Cover the creme layer of this with grapefruit sections, laying flat and neat across the cake.
Top with the third layer, brush with syrup and creme. Add fourth layer and repeat, then top again with the grapefruit sections in a neat pattern.
Top with candied peel and serve with the extra Creme Anglaise on each plate.
Best assembled and served immediately to prevent sogginess. The individual components can be made up to 2 days ahead.
Really tasty and refreshing. Of course this could be adjusted with different cake types/cremes etc to your tastes. Really pretty presentation.
I like the soaked grapefruit over pound cake with whipped cream too. Yum.
Enjoy!
sadiepix at 7:11PM on 05/17/08