Here are the most suitable versions of Niko Romito's favorite cocktail for the F / W20 season
That the gin and tonic is a must, it is undeniable and he is right Niko Romito, chef of the Reale restaurant in Abruzzo (three Michelin stars), our guest director for the month of November, to elect it as his favorite drink.
But if you think it doesn't fit the season perfectly, try these twist on classic.
We asked two exceptional bartenders to give us a couple of recipes more in tune with the color of the leaves and the days that are getting shorter.
Max Santangelo, owner of the bar that bears his name in Castel di Sangro, a longtime friend of Niko (find the story of their friendship on page 30 of the November issue) offers us a recipe that plays on the scent of grapes in combination with some spices. The gin that Max recommends comes from repeated distillations of Ugni blanc must (the Italian equivalent of Trebbiano) and from an infusion of vine flowers.
Autumn tonic
Makes 1 drink
5 cl Gin 'Floraison G Vine
Toned 1724
2 grapes
1 lime zest
ginger
juniper
green cardamom
pepper in grains
ice
Collect a small piece of ginger, a juniper berry, a cardamom pod and a peppercorn in a tumbler. Pound them gently, add the gin and leave to infuse for a couple of hours.
Strain the gin into a new ice tumbler and top up with the tonic.
Decorate with freshly squeezed lime zest to extract the essential oils and a couple of grape acids divided in half.
Alessandro Melis, our long-time collaborator, mixologist consultant of the Pandenus group and co-founder of Nonsolocoktails, a Milanese training school for bartenders, on the other hand, suggests two variants.
One is very simple and involves replacing the classic lemon peel with a very fragrant bergamot and completing the drink with pomegranate grains.
Another, here it is, is a little more complex.
Cinnamon tonic
Makes 1 drink
5 cl Canaïma gin
East Imperial Tonic Water
2 star anise stars
1 cinnamon stick
1 orange zest
ice
Pound a piece of cinnamon stick and a star aniseed in a tumbler; add the gin, stir, leave to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve directly into a tumbler with ice.
Fill with the tonic (scented with oak extract) and complete with the fresh scent of orange: gently twist the zest, pass it on the edge of the glass and then insert it into the drink. Decorate with a small piece of cinnamon stick and the other star anise star.
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