Hot days, breezy drinks
Original Article: Hot days, breezy drinks: Asheville bartenders cool down with summer cocktail recipes
By Jonathan Ammons, Mountain Xpress
On the Bright Side
The Chemist is a brand-new addition to the South Slope scene. The craft distiller makes American gin that relies less on juniper and more on lemon, grapefruit, orange and tangerine. The spirit can be sampled in the distillery’s vintage apothecary-style tasting room.
The Chemist bartender and cocktail consultant Jonny Burritt says, “We’re a craft distillery that pays homage to Prohibition-era chemists who turned contraband bars into happy-hour science labs.” The operation’s picturesque handmade copper alembic stills and soft vapor infusion production method, he adds, enable the distillers to craft a balanced gin that works well both in cocktails or over ice.
On The Bright Side
1½ ounces The Chemist gin
½ ounce dry vermouth (Dolin works well)
½ ounce Cocchi Americano
Dash Regan’s orange bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Serve up in a coupe or martini glass. To garnish, express the oils from a lemon peel and drop it in the glass.
“This simple twist on a classic martini is a perfect fit for the soft, nuanced flavors of The Chemist gin. The subtle floral and citrus notes of the aromatized wine and dry vermouth bring out the best of what The Chemist has to offer.”