By Ed Sikov
My brother-in-law
introduced me to a new liqueur last week – well, new to me, anyway. It’s an
Italian aperitif called Aperol, and it’s quite delicious. Think Campari, but
with less alcohol. According to Wikipedia, Aperol’s flavors include bitter
orange, rhubarb, gentian and cinchona.
What’s that you
say? You’ve never even heard of either gentian or cinchona? Well, my dears!
Step out of ignorance and into the light of knowledge! (Truth alert: I had
never heard of them either and had to look them up on – where else? –
Wikipedia. Gentian is derived from the root of a flowering Alpine herb;
cinchona is an Andean plant that serves as a source of quinine.)
My
aforementioned brother-in-law, Paul, used Aperol as one ingredient in a
delicious cocktail named “Il Sorpasso.” He’d found the recipe in the New York
Times. Perhaps needless to say, I was confident I could improve on the recipe,
so I’ve been experimenting with proportions in an effort to make the cocktail
less sugary. I’ve come up with a more balanced drink – to my taste, at least.
But for history’s sake, I’ve included the original recipe as well. In short, I
eliminated the extra sugar but kept the original honey. I also dislike club
soda because it has an unnecessary touch of salt, so I use sparkling water
instead – and less of it. Finally, I find recipes that lurch from ounces to
teaspoons and back again to be a huge pain in the ass. We aren’t all human
conversion calculators! So in my version I use standard kitchen equipment: a
measuring cup and a teaspoon.
I’m certain
you’re all wondering what “il sorpasso” means in English. Translated without
regard to the way any of us actually talk, “il sorpasso” means that which is
surpassing. In consultation with my multilingual pal Steve, who lives in Rome
when he’s not living in Paris (don’t you just hate him already?), I’ve come up
with a looser, more fluid (if you will) translation: _Above and Beyond_. This
cocktail is certainly that. It’s got the booziness of bourbon, the bitter
orange of Aperol, a whiff of herbs, and a faint kiss of honey. It’s a winner.
1 oz Aperol
1 oz bourbon
3/4 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp sugar
2 oz club soda
Combine everything but the club
soda in a cocktail shaker and shake; pour over ice, then add the club soda and
an orange slice to garnish.
The Above and
Beyond (my adaptation)
¼ cup Aperol
¼ cup bourbon
3/4 tsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
sparkling water (it only needs a
bit to provide fizz)
In a cocktail shaker filled with
ice, combine all the ingredients except the sparkling water; shake. Strain and
pour over fresh ice, then add club soda and – if you’re fond of pieces of fruit
batting against your face when you sip – an orange slice for garnish.
Ed Sikov is the
author of the e-book, The Boys' and Girls' Little Book of Alcohol, a novel
with recipes based on his Cocktail Chatter column.
