Norma Jean
Shake, double strain, crushed ice, low-ball garnish
Surprisingly, the overall impression is bitter grapefruit. Lovely.
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- Top drink. Crushed ice helps. Second sip is where it's at. I was thinking 3/4 cynar would help this, then saw it in the comments. Do it next time. There is a little bit of a grapefruit taste, but better—more complex.
- One of my favorite summer drinks.
- 1/4/20: Great drink, made with 2 tsp 2:1 simple. Will definitely make this in the summer.
- Earlier comments nail it: bitter grapefruit, interesting yet accessible.
- A daiquiri substitute, and extraordinarily so. Refreshingly tart, but not puckeringly so. Very versatile: I can see having two of these at the Club in the evening, or by the backyard pool in mid-afternoon on a Saturday. Has
- Light and surprising accessible. Good drink for those new to gin and/or amari.
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I have to say that this is a wonderful cocktail. It is plenty interesting, even for the jaded Fernet-chugging cocktail geek. Yet it's fairly accessible for those just getting starting to explore amaro-based cocktails. I bumped up the Cynar to 3/4oz and backed the simple down to 3/8oz, which was a nice balance for my taste. Where the bitter grapefruit flavor comes from, I do not know.
I used 3/4 oz cynar as that finished the bottle, and I was also generous with the mint. A little less simple and citrus next time, and I'll keep the extra cynar. I'm revisiting recipes I saved years ago and deleting anything I don't love from my cocktail library; this one stays.