The BITTER Long Island

The classic Long Island Iced Tea is on of the most controversial cocktails in the world. Equal parts of vodka, rum, gin, tequila and triple sec with some citrus juice (lemon or lime) and coke. Some people like it, some despise it. There are many recipes and variations, e. g. omitting the tequila or changing the proportions. The base of the Long Island, however, is always the same: a mix of the five clear spirits. So how about a BITTER Long Island? Today, we will apply this concept to the category of "bitter liqueurs", which includes bitter aperitifs and so-called amari as subcategories. This might seem counter-intuitive, but…

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Making an “authentic” Negroni – but it’s Tiki!

The classic Negroni - despite some controversy it can be called the "king of aperitivo". Despite its simple composition, being equal parts of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, it is hugely popular and a very interesting template for bartenders and mixologists to create new recipes. As I can call it my favorite drink with certainty, what better way to start off this cocktail blog than with a fun variation. Most people will think of a classic Negroni as being bitter, herbaceous and complex. Most of the times, it uses a London dry gin, Campari and a standard sweet vermouth (e. g. Antica Formula or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino).…

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