Eeyore’s Requiem cocktail
Named after Eeyore, a character from Winnie the Pooh, like the grey donkey, which Toby Maloney, its creator, calls “the most bitter character in literature.” In spite of that moniker, this alluring cocktail has an appealing bitterness that I can’t resist. And not to mention the color; if you’re in the doldrums, this vivid Eeyore’s Requiem cocktail will definitely lure you out of it.
It’s from Amaro by Brad Thomas Parsons, the pre-eminent book on the hard-to-define world of Italian bitters. Most are dark, brusque, herbaceous…and frankly, mysterious; few producers will reveal what’s in their specific formulas and they can contain anything from rhubarb roots and wild blueberries, to saffron, mint, and artichokes, but their formulas (and ingredients) are often a reflection of their terroir, the surrounding area of the place where they are produced.
Probably the best known is Fernet-Branca from Italy, but lesser-known is its French cousin, Fernet-Vallet, made in Mexico. How did this Franco-Mexican amer (as they are called in French) come to be?
After the period when France tried to colonize Mexico, which didn’t go as planned, Frenchman Henri Vallet, stayed on in Mexico and began distilling. And the rest is a blend of Franco-Mexican alchemy.
This cocktail gets its beautiful hue from red bitters, also known as aperitivo. Campari from Italy is the best-known, but made-in-France Dolin bitter de Chambéry is wonderful, although not available in the U.S. However American-made Bruto Americano and Forthave Red Aperitivo are excellent. Cappelleti is another red bitters from Italy.
Whatever red bitters you use, it will hold its own alongside the sweet blanc vermouth and there’s a dose of gin and a few dashes of amaro, or amari, to make sure the cocktail remains firmly in the “not sweet” cocktail camp. Which is just the way I like my cocktails, and if you do as well, give this one a try. It’s bitter at its best.
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Eeyore's Requiem cocktail
- 1 1/2 ounces red bitter apéritif, (see post for suggestions)
- 1 ounce French blanc vermouth, (preferably Dolin)
- 1/2 ounce gin, (preferably Tanqueray)
- 1/4 ounce Cynar
- 1/4 ounce Fernet-Branca
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 3 orange twists
- Add the red bitter apéritif, vermouth, gin, Cynar, Fernet-Branca, and orange bitters to a mixing class. Fill two-thirds with ice and stir until well-chilled, 15 to 20 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Express the oil from two of the orange twists, colorful side down (facing the drink) and squeezing to extract the oils over the surface of the drink. Discard the two twists and garnish the drink with the third.