Bitter Raisin

3⁄4 oz Rye, Rittenhouse 100
3⁄4 oz Cognac, Pierre Ferrand 1840
1⁄2 oz Cynar
1⁄2 oz Bonal Gentiane Quina
1⁄2 oz Gran Classico
1 twst Orange peel (as garnish)
1 Raisins (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir everything but the orange twist over ice. Strain into a coupe or Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with an orange twist and a raisin. Enjoy.

Notes

Inspired by the "Foregone Conclusion" cocktail in Brad Parson's Amaro book.

History

As of November 2020.

Cocktail summary
Picture of Bitter Raisin
Created by
winsome_amari
Is the
author's original creation
Curator
5 stars
Average
4.5 stars
(27 ratings)
YieldsDrink
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From other users
  • Bittersweet as you'd guess. Gran Classico hits first, but everything else has a turn--a nice balance. Tingly cinnamon. My raisin did not stay on my twist though.
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Comments

Lovely - but way too big for a normal Nick & Nora. Put it in an Old Fashioned glass with a big rock, then sit back and enjoy.

Only a standard 3 oz drink, so not too big for a traditional cocktail glass

Did you use Cynar 70 rather than regular Cynar (based on your picture) ?

Excellent. Originally I misread the ingredients as Gran Gala and sub'd Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao and thought "wow, that's a lot of orange". This time I sub'd Campari and loved it. Complex. Everything I like about a Vieux Carre and a Boulevardier.

Being strapped for ingredients, I used equal parts cheap brandy, Japanese whisky, classic Cynar, and Gran Classico. The result is nutty, boozy, a little sweet - a great slow sipper.

This is very good for those wanting a flavorful sweet and bitter cocktail with a variety of flavors. I have developed a fondness for Gran Classico and this only adds to its working repertoire (and Cynar likewise.) The real benefit (to me) is that this cocktail makes excellent use of Bonal, which has too often been a component in my merely "good", but not very good/great cocktail category. I am considering using Bonal as a direct substitute for the extinct Secrestat Bitter (a gentiane based aperitif rather than simply a bitter) in some historic French cocktails.