Travel to the subtropics without ever leaving your glass.
Take a look at this little eye-catcher: it just may be the star of your next soiree. This isn’t one of those see-through cocktails, the ones that resemble colored glass – but it isn’t opaque either. Its electric hues promise intensity, and the way it catches and holds the light suggests a playful mystique. I’m happy to report, it delivers on both fronts.
Named for the Miami Beach hotel bar where it originated, this cocktail is the perfect complement to (or substitute for) a seaside getaway. Without further ado:
The Astor Martini
- 2 oz Ketel One vodka
- ¾ oz Campari
- 1 oz Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
Shake with ice, and then strain into a well chilled martini glass. (Adapted from Gary Regan’s The Joy of Mixology).
The Astor Martini really is a splash of summer, evoking holidays in balmy, exotic climates not just with citrus, but also with the confounding allure of Campari. This bright red liqueur, revered for its mystifying yet distinctive blend of herbal ingredients, is iconic of the great Italian vacation. And though I’m not particularly well-traveled, I can tell you this: it really does taste better in an open air cafe on the Fondamenta overlooking the Venetian lagoon. But beyond mere exoticism, Campari brings a lively edge of bitterness to the sweet/tart balance of fresh grapefruit, making for a truly superb aperitif. Once these bolder flavors have aroused your slumbering palate, a host of secret herbal and aromatic notes will continue to delight and elude you for as long as you allow the finish to linger.
A splash of summer? Davvero? Citrus, especially grapefruit, is indelibly associated with winter in my mind, albeit perhaps an Arizona winter. Might I obtain acceptable results with a lesser brand of vodka, or is a trip to the liquor store in the offing?
On another topic, do you use any in- or out-of-camera treatment on the interior photos? They have a certain faux-seventies patina to them, and I mean that in a good way.
Ciao,
T.
Good point. It’s a bit of a paradox for me, I guess. Citrus is absolutely at its peak in winter, and yet I’ve always associated it with warmth and sunshine. (Perhaps this is thanks to decades of advertising groundwork laid by Dole, Tropicana, etc.) Of course, much good citrus does come from Florida (and other characteristically winter-proof regions), which instantly conjures visions of summer vacation to the mind of the snow-sodden Northerner — or for this one at any rate. Is it possible that summer is also a place? Or a state of mind?
I think there’s some wiggle room on brand selection, but it’s a short drink, so some caution is definitely required. Even though both Campari and grapefruit are intense flavors, there simply isn’t enough volume to conceal major flaws in this context. There are a few vodkas of impressive value which I’d try in this recipe, most notably Sobieski. This polish rye vodka has been reviewed on par with selections two to three times more costly, and with good reason. It’s not going to match the Ketel, in my opinion, but I think it should work well enough in the Astor Martini — and it performs excellently in the Vodka Tonic. Who’s up for a side by side tasting?
Thanks for the kind words on the photos! My post-camera editing is done entirely in Windows Photo Gallery, if you can believe it. I feel certain that, with a bit more experience and a lot more time, I could get better results from any of a dozen more sophisticated photo editing suites. But given my status as an amateur photog, the small collection of tweaks available in WPG allow me to quickly achieve my short list of goals. Thanks for reading!
cW
I’ve PM-ed you the link, but am also posting here, mostly for shameless self-promotion reasons. Feel free to moderate it out.
http://liquoricepizza.blogspot.com/2011/02/astor-martini-or-how-i-failed-to.html
Cheers,
T.
Hey, not at all. I’m glad you posted this. Sorry to hear the concoction was not a winner for you, yet I can’t help feeling the ruby red would have made all the difference. The original recipe does not specify, but I think I’ll update my adaptation, as the varieties of grapefruit juice bring such different things to other cocktails, such as the Salty Dog. I haven’t tried the Astor Martini with pink, and I probably wouldn’t — they just aren’t sweet enough to play well with Campari. Of course, I know vodka is simply not your spirit of choice, so this one may be a lost cause for you. But if you decide to try it again with reds, let me know how it goes!