The Bitter Giuseppe Cocktail

The Bitter Giuseppe is a comparatively low-ABV cocktail that’s well suited to afternoon sipping. Although I generally prefer a bourbon- or rye-based drink, I’ve been turning to this one often lately, especially as a Sunday afternoon aperitif.

The Bitter Guiseppe 

• 2 oz. (60 ml) Cynar
• 1 oz. (30 ml) Sweet Vermouth
• 1/4 oz. (7.5 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 4 dashes Orange Bitters 
• 1 swath lemon peel
• Expressed lemon oil and peel for garnish

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass. Express the lemon peel and drop it into the glass. Add ice and stir well. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube and garnish with another bit of lemon peel. 

This amaro cocktail shares a family resemblance to the Manhattan or the Negroni, but it is somewhat softer in flavor. Cynar, an artichoke-based amaro, lends a gentle vegetal bitterness to the drink. It’s a flavor I enjoy and one that also appears in the In Cold Blood cocktail. In warmer weather, it makes a fine accompaniment to a medium-bodied cigar — a pairing I look forward to once the winter deep freeze gives way to something just a little a bit warmer.

Cheers!