This is an original recipe I blogged for a Mixology Monday that called for a favorite niche spirit. I went with kirsch, a classic eau-de-vie made from cherries, and accented it with another niche item, dry sherry, which seems under-appreciated in my home country of the United States.
For those who haven’t had much experience with dry sherries, they have a distinctive pistachio and green apple aroma which comes from a compound called acetaldehyde, the result of oxidization in the presence of a layer of special yeasts referred to as the flor.
Dry sherries don’t hold well once opened, and should be consumed quickly—within a day or so for best flavor.
Solar Radio
- 2 oz kirsch
- 1 oz dry sherry (anything labelled fino, manzanilla or amontillado)
- 1 – 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Amarena or brandied cherry, garnish
Stir kirsch, sherry and bitters with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add cherry garnish.
ROWEN, FOGGED IN LOUNGE
This is a dry, aromatic cocktail that would be suitable before dinner or for other Martini-type situations.