Friday Happy Hour — One Good Bottle: Ramazzotti

Also, some housekeeping.

Before we get to tonight’s bottle, some brief programming notes: First, the main edition of this newsletter will typically come out around the weekend. But with two Friday holidays in a row coming up, expect it to publish a little bit earlier in the week.

Second, so far this newsletter has been in a trial period, with every edition going out to both free and paid subscribers. But on January 1, that trial period will end.

Starting in 2021, the price of an annual subscription will increase, and the weekly main edition will typically go to paid subscribers only. Shorter “happy hour” posts like this one will remain free for all subscribers.

Here are some of the posts I’m planning for the coming year:

• The most important bottle of gin in a home bar.

• Deconstructing the Manhattan.

• Essential cocktail syrups and how to make them.

• Building a better Boulevardier.

• How to barrel-age cocktails.

I have several other projects and pieces planned as well, at least one of which involves peanut butter.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who has already subscribed. The response has been incredibly gratifying. For everyone else: If you like what you’ve read so far and want to keep reading about essential techniques, ingredients, and recipes for home bartenders, the only way to do it is to subscribe:

Unless you’re already an amaro nut, it’s likely you aren’t familiar with Ramazzotti. But you should be. Dark, herbal, and root-forward without being overly bitter (in fact, there’s a somewhat surprising underlying sweetness), you can think of it as a cousin to something like Cynar, or perhaps a richer, nuttier version of Campari.

Ramazzotti is one of those sneakily useful ingredients that you probably won’t use every week, but if you scan cocktail books and make a lot of different cocktails, you might end up using once a month. It goes exceptionally well with rye whiskey in drinks like the Manhattan Transfer and the Brooklyn. But I’m particularly fond of it in Amor y Amargo mastermind Sother Teague’s brooding, wintry Pumpernickel, a bitter-yet-balanced Boulevardier variant that combines Ramazzotti with Punt e Mes vermouth, a heavy dose of Angostura bitters, and 100-proof rye whiskey. As always, Rittenhouse Rye is your friend.

Pumpernickel

• 7 dashes Angostura bitters

• 3/4 ounce Ramazzotti

• 3/4 ounce Punt e Mes

• 1 1/2 ounces Rittenhouse Rye or other 100 proof rye whiskey

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass. Add ice, then stir until chilled. Strain into a coupe. Squeeze a strip of lemon peel over the surface of the drink, then discard the peel.