Friday, March 5, 2010

Simple as That

Why does everything have to be so complicated? I’ve been asking myself that a lot this week. Well, the truth is, it doesn’t. Let’s take my new favorite cocktail as an example.
Last week, my friend Heidi and I were finishing up dinner at Oddfellows, and asked the bartender about her after dinner drinks. From a long list, we picked Carpano Antica--a sweet Itaian vermouth.  “It’s what the girls behind the bar are into these days."  Why not? Out it came, in a glass with ice and a hefty slice of lemon peel.
Let me tell you, it’s a gift from the heavens. Smooth and tangy, with a deep chocolatey richness. But not too sweet. And a little bitter bite from the lemon. We fell in love.
Now, dinner with Heidi is really good, no matter what we eat. And sometimes its glow can impair our judgment a little—like when a Cliff Bar actually tastes good after a long hike. So I tried it out on a few more people, including my mom. At this point, and I am still actively testing, 9 out of 10 people agree that Carpano Antica is damn good, and well worth the $40 it costs at the liquor store.

You have to try it. Simple as that.

2 comments:

Fern Cola said...

Love it! You are brilliant and charming and so on top of things: this vermouth is in the current issue of Bon Appetit, in their "Norwegian Negroni" recipe (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/03/the_norwegian_negroni). Hurray for yummy dinners and awesome after-dinner drinks!!! Better yet, hurray for great friends.

Pleasant Company said...

Here here! Hooray for great friends.