Journalist cocktail
Try a taste of sophistication with this Friday’s cocktail, the Journalist.
This classic drink–a likely choice of journalists?–dates back as far as the 1930s, appearing in the Savoy Cocktail Book. Its a variation of sorts of a martini with equal portions of dry and sweet vermouth. A little citrus flavor is added for effect and voilà! The drink of journalists and writers. See more about this cocktail here and here.
Imagine if you will a journalist hunched over a typewriter on deadline to get out the latest copy in an office heavy with smoke and summer heat. Fans may be whirring in the background but not enough to cool off the air. An ice cold drink could help get the job done. The cliché is the heavy-drinking reporter of the early 20th century puffing away on a cigarette and imbibing a drink of choice. Times have certainly changed. This cocktail, however, is one still worth ordering at the Press Club or a bar of choice. Toast the hard-working journalists and writers of an earlier era.
What you’ll need: Gin, Dry Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth, Lemon Juice, Curaçao, and Bitters
In a shaker over cracked ice, pour in 1 1/2 ounce of gin, 1/4 ounce each of dry and sweet vermouth, and teaspoon each of lemon juice and Curaçao. Add in a dash or two of bitters. Shake well and then strain into a cocktail glass.
Grand Marnier may be substituted in the event that the only Curaçao you have on hand is blue. Optionally, a twist of lemon or orange may be added for a garnish, but this isn’t strictly necessary.
How I like it: The original recipe calls for only a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice and Curaçao, but the full teaspoon works better. I used Grand Marnier for this drink, and Bombay Sapphire for the gin. Also, I doth protest that this cocktail belongs not in a martini glass, but in a rocks glass over cubed ice. It suits the drink far better.
Don’t be a cliché, drink responsibly!
The Poisoned Martini 