Rio Grande (1937)
Stir with ice for 30 seconds, strain into chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass, garnish with orange peel
The chocolate bitters and orange peel are additions by Frank Caiafa. He uses a housemade cocoa bitters (2 parts housemade citrus bitters or Regan's Orange Bitters to 1 part cacao nibs, infused for 3 weeks) and recommends Fee Bros. Aztec Chocolate Bitters as a substitute. I used 2 dashes Scrappy's Chocolate Bitters and 1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters.
Originally published in "Café Royal Cocktail Book", William J. Tarling, United Kingdom Bartenders Guild, 1937
"The Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book," Frank Caiafa, Penguin Books, 2016
- Used 1 oz Espolpon reposado tequila, 1.25 oz Hayman Old Tom gin, 1 oz Contratto bianco vermouth, 1 dsh Regan's orange bitters, and 2 dsh Fee Bros Aztec chocolate bitters. Also expressed orange peel. Light but complex. Rate: 4.0
- Nice combo of the reposado and bitters. I like it. Perhaps it could be improved a bit by adjusting the Old Tom?
- Made with Lunazul, Dolin, Scrappys/Regans. Some nice floral tones but also an almost fernet-like medicinal quality.
- Miller's Crossing — Jamaican rum, Gin, Sweet vermouth, Herbal liqueur, Bitters, Orange peel
- Supercool Vieux Carré — Genever, Dark rum, Sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Peychaud's Bitters, Bitters
- Rinse & Repeat — Old Tom Gin, Sweet vermouth, Aperol, Rye, Absinthe, Grapefruit peel
- Nicole Bettinger — Gin, Bianco Vermouth, Kirschwasser, Drambuie
- Delmonico — Gin, Cognac, Dry vermouth, Sweet vermouth, Bitters, Lemon peel