La Tavola Rotonda

April 05, 2004 Chuck cocktails 2 Comments

Ooh, this is a good ‘un, and brand spanking new. Wes and I were very pleased to be guinea pigs in trying this creation, straight from the laboratory of Dr. Cocktail, its creator.

The inspiration from this one came from the venerable Algonquin cocktail, about which Doc said, “I really like the idea of Bourbon with pineapple juice, but that white vermouth just seemed to water it down.” I agree; when Wes first started making these a few years ago, we liked the same idea, but after trying one we cut the vermouth by half on the second go-round. Doc wanted to take that base and layer the flavor with a multitude of bitters, finally balancing that with a touch of maraschino. The result is absolutely lovely.

Of course, you all now have a bottle of Torani Amer on hand. If you don’t have any, you need some — it’s a lovely bitter orange aperitif, and you’ll need it for classic cocktails that call for Amer Picon, such as the classic Picon Punch, as well as the Hoskins and now this one as well. Doc also recommends Evan Williams sour mash Bourbon, a great flavor for a great price.

La Tavola Rotonda

2 ounces Evan Williams Bourbon (or your favorite).
1 ounce pineapple juice.
1/2 ounce Campari.
1/2 ounce Torani Amer.
1/2 ounce Maraschino liqueur.
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters.

Combine all ingredients with cracked ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds, until very cold. Strain into a cocktail glass and enjoy.

You get a lovely balance to the bitters from the maraschino and the sweetness of the juice, plus a tiny bit of tartness from the latter. The bitters-loving cocktailian will love this one. Thanks, Doc! (If any of y’all try this one out, leave a comment and let Doc and me know if you liked it.)

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “La Tavola Rotonda”

  1. Susie Bright said:

    Nov 01, 10 at 4:19 pm

    This is going to be my official Election Day Crying Jag cocktail. I also tried it with Blood Orange bitters in case I ever lose this rare bottle of Amer.

    It is delish!

  2. Chuck said:

    Nov 02, 10 at 12:42 am

    It is indeed! Here’s hoping it’s your official Election Day Whew We Dodged A Bullet cocktail.