Drago Centro is well regarded as a restaurant, but they're even more famous for their bar, where the staff behind the counter is always whipping up some ingenious concoction.
The mixology team's latest creation is the Pinzimonio, named after an antipasto popular across Italy. The non-liquid version is simple: seasonal raw vegetables, dipped at the table in salt (sometimes seasoned with herbs) and olive oil, preferably a spicier variety.
The same principles apply to this cocktail version; it calls for two different juices and a number of vegetables along with the grappa and vodka. It is, essentially, an Italianate Bloody Mary. Serve it on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning as an aperitif, or with brunch any time of year.
1 ¼ oz grappa (Drago Centro uses Poli)
¾ oz tomato juice
¾ oz orange juice
Splash lemon juice
Splash simple syrup
Shake, strain and top with olive oil foam - if you don't have the emulsifying paste necessary to make a foam, a small spritz of olive oil should suffice. Top with cracked pepper and a sprig of microgreens.
In another glass, mix:
1 oz vodka (Drago Centro uses Hangar Straight)
Lime
Basil
Cucumber
Muddle the produce, add vodka and strain into a shot glass with a white truffle powder rim (or not, if you don't happen to have such an ingredient on hand).
Pour the vodka mix into the grappa mix, and serve garnished with cherry tomatoes, cocktail onions and strips of carrot. Enjoy!
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jqueeng02 says :
Wow this is interesting. I've never tried making cocktails before. Thanks for the recipe above.