Episode 6: Dale DeGroff

Dale DeGroff is one of the pioneers of the cocktail renaissance, and Episode 6 is devoted entirely to his stories of being a bartender in New York City and Los Angeles in the closing decades of the 20th century; his thoughts on the growth of the modern cocktail movement and the future of bars; and the recently released The New Craft of the Cocktail, a revised and updated edition of his influential 2002 book.

Martini Cocktail 1888

1 oz. Old Tom gin (DeGroff uses Ransom)
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 dash gomme syrup
2 or 3 dashes bitters (DeGroff uses Bitter Truth Bogart’s Bitters)
1 dash curaçao or absinthe (optional)
Tools: barspoon, strainer
Glass: cocktail
Garnish: cherry or olive, lemon zest

Stir all of the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a cherry or an olive, then express the lemon peel over the top of the drink and discard.

Adapted by Dale DeGroff

Smoky Martini #2 

2 oz. Hendricks Orbium gin
1 oz. Reyka vodka
1 oz. Martini Riserva Speciale Ambrato vermouth
1 tsp. blended malt Scotch whisky (DeGroff uses Monkey Shoulder)
4 dashes Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters
Tools: barspoon, strainer
Glass: cocktail

Stir all of the ingredients with ice, then strain into a chilled glass.

Dale DeGroff

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