The Impatient Chef Cocktail Recipe: The Bitter Old Man

So, The Impatient Chef ran out of his favorite cocktail gin on Thursday.  Friday evening rolled around, and the medicine cabinet still was a bit bare in the gin department.  Not only that, but the cocktail books did not reveal anything that looked appealing without a good gin.   Did that stop The Impatient Chef?  

Almost.

But, necessity is the mother of invention, and there was a liquor that I wanted to try, and I actually had it.

It’s called “Torani Amer”.  Not to be confused with the Torani syrups you may order in your latte, this is a tad astringent, and a little bitter.  I bought it a few years ago for a drink that I never got around to making.  Sans gin, I still couldn’t make it.  

What next? 

Invent a cocktail.

First the base spirit.  I was considering Old Tom Gin, or Laird’s Applejack. I smelled the various ingredients, and went with Applejack.  The drink would have three bitter parts: Torani Amer, Green Chartreuse, and Orange Bitters, and then the name struck me.  It would be called The Bitter Old Man.  Laird’s Applejack is a very old spirit, but Old Tom Gin would have worked with the name as well.  

Here Goes:

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Laird’s Applejack
• 1/2 oz Torani Amer
• 1/2 oz fresh orange juice
• 1 oz Lillet Blanc
• 1 bar spoon Parfait Amour
• 3 dashes orange bitters
• 3 dashes Green Chartreuse
• Lemon juice
• Lemon peel

Directions:

1. Even though this has orange juice in it, I decided to stir it instead of shake it.  So stir everything but the lemon juice and peel with ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Cut a lemon in half, and squeeze it briefly over the cocktail, getting perhaps 10 drops.  Garnish with a twist of lemon.  
2. This cocktail is not for the faint of heart, not because it tastes strange, or weird.  It does taste similar to other cocktails I have had.  Where it is quite different, and where fans of dark chocolate, black coffee, and the negroni will perk up and listen, the aftertaste changes flavors at least three times, getting more bitter and astringent for about 10 seconds.  It isn’t overwhelming, but it’s a noticeable, and interesting sensation. 
3. Enjoy if you dare.