Imbibing in the Big Apple and beyond ...

Okie dokey … we are at the half way point of Tequila in 10 and so far so good with a bunch of boozy stirred drinks designed to showcase the versatility of this/these amazing spirits. While we thoroughly enjoy the first five drinks profiled so far we are slightly partial to our final five.  We’ll begin to take on additional layers of flavor against the vegetal back drop that is tequila and maybe, just maybe, see if we can find a citrus-based drink that appeals to our sense of fair play.

We emerge from behind the faux English phone booth, grab a Crif Dog and breathe in the cold air that is about in NYC.  Two straight nights of imbibing drinks on the town at two of the Big Apple’s best craft bars and we find our self wanting more.  We head due south by two blocks and enter our favorite drink making establishment.

The Grand Torino is a beauty, a combination of raw engine power and clean, almost sexy lines.  It is clear why the creator of today’s drink named their creation after this American muscle car … it simply fits.  Created at Death & Co., the Gran Tornio has adorned the menu at D&C for several seasons and for good reason, it is a powerfully tasty drink.  Such an interesting combination of distinct flavors that when mixed together, as they are here, become so much more than what they were going in.  “Funky” is the only way I can describe the slightly vegetal, earthy and almost cookie like taste that greets the palate.  As you sip on it, the drink reveals a complex web of sweet, earthy and some what bitter notes against the backdrop of what I can only describe as the best tasting “baked good” I’ve ever had in a glass. Odd, and maybe it is only my palate, but these disparate flavors created something I absolutely did not expect and yet every time I’m done with this drink I crave it all the more.  Very, very nice!

I hope my recreation of this beautiful drink does the original proud — we heartily encourage you to give the below version a try (we think it a worthy sub) and if at all possible, try out the real thing at the real place.

Note: this is also a form of Project Recreate as the below is our best attempt to recreate the drink we sampled oh so many times at Death & Co..  To the best of our knowledge, the below recipe is not the actual one used at the bar — while the ingredients are per the printed menu used at Death & Co. the proportions are all ours based on our tasting notes at the time.  

Grand Torino  
Recipe created and served at Death & Co. (NYC) and heavily adapted by theSpeakista

•    2 oz El Tesoro Platinum (our base anejo tequila for this series was used)
•    1/2 oz Batavia Arrack
•    1/4 oz Meletti Amaro
•    1/4 oz crème de cacao (Marie Brizard white was used)
Garnish: none
Glass: coupe or other cocktail glass
Tools: mixing glass, bar-spoon and julep strainer

Assembly: Mix all of the ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of cracked and non-cracked ice until the drink is well chilled and pour into the serving glass.  

Thanks again to the team at Death & Co. for once again providing me with drink making bliss.  Stay tuned for tomorrow we finally let a little citrus into the mixing glass (and tin).

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