I am here for the recent reclaiming of Old Lady Ingredients in the cocktail world—sherry, port, madeira, and the like. As far as cocktail ingredients go, these tipples are amazing because of the amount of flavor and complexity they pack into such a low-ABV package.
Manzanilla sherry is a particular favorite of mine (which just figures, since it tends to be one of the more expensive varieties ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ). It’s got a pronounced minerality and crispness that makes it ideal for combining with ingredients on the more savory end of the spectrum. Jim Meehan’s Stamford Fix makes excellent use of manzanilla by combining it with fresh basil, herbal Bénédictine, and pisco.
When I’m cooking, I love how it’s possible to swap tender herbs for each other pretty much indiscriminately, resulting in a miraculously easy—yet eminently distinct—twist on any recipe. I’m actually quite a fan of cilantro pesto (or cilantro anything, really), so I decided to throw that into Jim’s recipe in place of the basil. And for good measure, I dropped in a dried chile de árbol just to add a little heft and backbone to what was a fairly subtle drink. Don’t tell Jim—I think I like mine better.
The Devil and the Gypsy
2 oz. La Diablada pisco
1 oz. La Gitana manzanilla sherry
0.5 oz. Bénédictine
Handful of fresh cilantro
1 dried chile de árbol
Muddle cilantro and chile with Bénédictine. Add remaining ingredients and stir with ice. Double-strain into a cocktail glass, then squeeze a grapefruit twist over the top.