Bitter Giuseppe

Steps

1. 1

   Measure 60ml of Cynar and pour it into your mixing glass. Add 30ml of sweet vermouth right on top. Add 2 dashes of orange bitters. You'll see a dark, reddish-brown liquid — that's the color of the finished drink.

   !Using dry vermouth by accident will make the drink thin and aggressively bitter.

2. 2

   Fill the mixing glass about three-quarters full with ice — big cubes if you have them, since they melt slower and give you more control. The ice should sit above the liquid line so everything chills evenly.

   !Using too little ice means the drink warms up before it's properly diluted.

3. 3

   Stir steadily with your bar spoon for about 20 to 30 seconds, moving the ice smoothly around the glass. You'll know you're done when the outside of the mixing glass feels cold to the touch and there's a light frost forming on it.

   ~25s

   !Stirring too fast or aggressively chips the ice and clouds the drink.

4. 4

   Take your coupe glass out of the freezer. Hold your Hawthorne strainer over the mixing glass and pour the drink through it into the coupe, letting the liquid flow in while the ice stays behind. The drink should fill the glass most of the way.

   !Letting ice chips slip into the coupe waters down the drink quickly.

5. 5

   Take your lemon peel and hold it over the drink, colored side facing down. Give it a firm twist so a fine mist of lemon oils sprays across the surface of the drink. Drop the peel in, and you're done.

   !Squeezing the peel into the drink instead of twisting it releases bitter pith oils instead of fragrant zest.