The Mixing Star Project

Words by Simon Difford

The Mixing Star Project image 1

Disaronno's Mixing Star project has concluded for another year revealing the 45 Mixing Stars to emerge from the hundreds of bartenders who attended seminars held across nine countries.

The Mixing Star project kicked off back in the spring with bartenders applying to attend master classes conducted by Disaronno's ambassadors. These convivial seminars mixed education, fun, and ultimately friendly rivalry as those present were invited to create cocktails on the spot using a limited selection of ingredients. The best to emerge from these seminars were invited to join the Mixing Star project by submitting their own signature cocktail using Disaronno and complying to one of the Five Great Bartending Styles: Classic, Tiki, Molecular, Batched and Contemporary/fun. I was then tasked with making all 150 recipes to select the 45 (five per country) to be photographed for inclusion in this year's Mixing Star book.

Months before judging Mixing Star I had been considering what recipe I'd enter and so started to experiment. Thanks to Jeffrey Morgenthaler, we all know how well Disaronno works in a Whiskey Sour so it seemed obvious the liqueur would suit an Old Fashioned - after all that's basically what the classic Godfather is - only without the bitters. Hence, I played around with several riffs on the theme and published the results on Difford's Guide.

Looking through the 150 recipes I received from nine countries it quickly became clear that when it comes to mixing with Disaronno, great minds think alike. A large proportion of the recipes submitted used one whisk(e)y or another as the base spirit, many in Old Fashioned style cocktails. Even many of the molecular entries were near classic Godfathers/Old Fashioneds crowned with some form of flavoured foam head or other molecular twist/addition.

Given that Tiki was specified as a category for entries, it's not surprising that rum also featured heavily, and like whisk(e)y, rum combines brilliantly with Disaronno. But more telling was how many used the lightly spicy character of arrack rum, and how well this worked. Indeed, spices in general also proved popular. So perhaps the ultimate Mixing Star cocktail would be a 'Spiced Disaronno Rum Old Fashioned Godfather' with a hint of arrack?

My sincere thanks to all participants who took part in this year's Mixing Star and submitted recipes. I'll be at the Bar Convent Berlin on the Disaronno stand with copies of The Mixing Star Guide containing beautiful photographs of all 45 Mixing Star recipes. Please come to the stand and ask me for your copy.

As you'd expect of Difford's Guide, we have made and photographed all 45 of what I judged to be the best cocktails from each of the Five Great Bartending Styles (Classic, Tiki, Molecular, Batched, Contemporary & Fun). I've listed the recipe below by country with my notes on each.

AUSTRALIA

ency 16 image

Martinez Disaronno by Jono Carr (classic)
Glass: Nick & Nora
Garnish: Flamed orange zest (discarded), sweet vermouth soaked cherry (in glass)
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
• 45ml Bols Genever
• 20ml Disaronno originale
• 10ml Dolin dry vermouth
• 5ml Luxardo maraschino
• 2 dash Orange bitters
Comment: The bready charter of genever combines perfectly with almondy Disaronno in this finely balanced amaretto riff on a classic Martinez. (I took the liberty of increasing the genever in Jono's recipe from 40 to 45ml (1½oz) to very slightly up the drink's boozy backbone and make the recipe more oz friendly.)

Cut Through The Mist by Phillip Weber (tiki)
Glass: Hurricane
Garnish: Pineapple leaves wrapped around the stem of the glass and white paper straws and a pushed out umbrella next to the straws. Add straws and umbrella, plus spray of 'mad mist' (made with 30ml Disaronno, 30ml absinthe 10ml pimento bitters)
Method: Char-grill 2 x 2 inch cubes pineapple. Muddle char-grilled pineapple in base of shaker. Add other ingredients, shake with ice and fine strain into chilled and pre-prepared glass filled with crushed ice.
• 2 chunk Char-grilled pineapple
• 30ml Disaronno
• 20ml Remy Martin VS cognac
• 20ml Cynar
• 10ml Monin cherry syrup
• 15ml Fee Bros falernum
• 30ml Lime juice
• 2 dash Crawley's Cherry syrup
• 2 dash Dale DeGroff's Pimento Aromatic Bitters
Comment: Fruity with amaretto, cherry and amaro notes adding complexity.

The Reina's Legacy by Andrea Marseglia (batched)
Glass: Nick & Nora
Garnish: Lemon zest twist expressed over drink and then wrapped around brandied cherry
Method: Pour all ingredients into a ½ litre Jesus Blasco 'Tarrabatan' Wineskin and leave to rest for three days. To serve, stir 80ml of the drink from the wineskin with ice and strain into chilled glass.
• 30ml Ardberg 10 year old
• 20ml Woodford Reserve bourbon
• 20ml Disaronno
• 10ml Lillet Blanc
• 2 drop Orange bitters
• 1 drop Peychaud's Bitter
Comment: Disaronno and Ardbeg's peaty character combine with bourbon and aromatized wine to make a complex spirit forward cocktail. Leather ageing imparts its distinctive flavour and also softens the cocktail.
Origin: This leather aged riff on a Godfather was created by Andrea Marseglia of Australia and is dedicated to the Reina family, the makers of Disaronno amaretto.

Italian Snow (contemporary/fun) by Joshua O'Brien
Glass: Wax lined paper cup filled with shaved ice, straw and spoon
Method: Combine all ingredients in a 250ml pump bottle and instruct drinker to pump cocktail over shaved ice to create snow cone-style drink.
• 40ml Disaronno
• 10ml Amaro Montenegro
• 25ml Fresh orange juice
• 20ml Spiced orange syrup*
*Spiced orange syrup - 1:1 sugar syrup infused with 2 whole orange rinds, 1 tbsp grated nutmeg, 1 cinnamon stick, 6 slices of peeled ginger, simmered and then allowed to cool before straining through a cheese cloth. Bottle and refrigerate.
Comment: Childish but tasty.

Pepper & Spice by Peter Kompes (molecular)
Glass: Snifter
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. Place the drink under a glass cloche. Put dried whole peppercorns into a smoking gun and fill the cloche with peppercorn smoke. Present drink under smoke filled cloche.
• 40ml Rapid infused pepper Disaronno*
• 30ml Remy Martin VSOP Cognac
• 15ml Shiraz reduction syrup*
• 2 dash Angostura bitters
*Rapid infused pepper Disaronno: Add 120ml Disaronno and 30ml dried whole peppercorns to an ISI cream whipper. Charge cream whipper with one nitrous oxide bulb. Shake and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Slowly de-pressurise canister. Fine strain contents through cheese cloth. Infusion complete
*Shiraz reduction syrup: Add 375 ml shiraz wine and 120 grams castor sugar to a pot, apply to a low heat and stir, continue until final product reduces down to 150ml. Syrup complete.
Comment: Red wine syrup, cognac and Disaronno combine to produce a richly flavoured after dinner drink with spicy pepper and smoke.

GERMANY

ency 78 image

Ginsthatten by Mario Santoro (classic)
Glass: Martini
Garnish: Cinnamon stick & orange zest twist
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.
• 30ml Disaronno
• 52.5ml Island Rum gold rum
• 3 dash Peychaud's bitters
Comment: Dry with rum notes combining will with the nutty amaretto and New Orleans bitters adding a touch of creole.) I multiplied Mario's original recipe by one-and-half times to better fill glass.

Fuori Di Saronno by Matthias Ingelmann (tiki)
Glass: Tiki glass
Method: Muddle ginger in base of shaker. Add other ingredients, shake with ice and strain into glass filled with crushed ice.
• 1 slice Root ginger
• 20ml Disaronno
• 50ml Rum [type of rum not specified - I used Bacardi gold]
• 15ml Arrak
• 20ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 10ml Sugar syrup
• 1 dash Orange Bitters
Comment: Arrak and ginger add spice and body to this rum laced citrusy and almondy refreshing Tiki cocktail.

Ultima Voluntus by Sascha Lenz (batched)
Glass: Old-fashioned
Garnish: Orange zest twist
Method: Shake all Ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. To pre-batch, simply multiply recipe by number of drinks required.
• 30ml Disaronno reduction*
• 30ml 3 Island Rum
• 30ml Ceylon Arrack
• 5ml Black Walnut Bitters
*Disaronno reduction - combine Disaronno, Tempranillo wine, root ginger, Tasmanian pepper, vanilla bean and orange peel and gently heat, whilst stirring until one-third original volume.
Comment: Dry spicy and characterful - an after-dinner sipper of a cocktail.

Railway by Sebastian Lumpe (contemporary/fun)
Glass: Sling
Garnish: [Walnut half and perhaps a cola bottle candy - added by SD]
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass filled with crushed ice.
• 20ml Disaronno
• 40ml Bourbon Whiskey
• 10ml Cola Reduction
• 2 dashes Walnut Bitters
Comment: best described as a amaretto and cola Julep. Hence, perhaps serve in a Julep Cup.

Casoni Daquiri by Dominik Achtenicht (molecular)
Glass: Coffee cup
Garnish: Disaronno foam and cinnamon stick
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into coffee cup.
• 30ml Disaronno
• 40ml Ron Selecto rum
• 30ml Lime Juice
• 20ml Sugar syrup (1:1)
Comment: As the name suggests this cocktail is basically an almond Daiquiri but is made more interesting by being sipped through an amaretto foam.

GREECE

ency 44 image

Saronno Amaro by Nikitas Stoilis (classic)
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Grapefruit zest twist
Method: Stir first 4 ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
• 25ml Disaronno
• 50ml Opihr Oriental Spiced London Dry Gin
• 25ml Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino
• 5ml Fernet Branca Menta
• 2 drops Chilled mineral water
Comment: Disaronno, spiced gin and Menta Branca are all big flavours, but sit well together in this classically styled, yet very contemporary cocktail.

The Daredevil's Advocate by Eleytherios Kourtis (tiki)
Glass: Crystal lamp glass & clay pot
Garnish: Passion fruit half and mint sprigs [no garnish stated]
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass (without ice) placed inside a clay pot filled with crushed ice to keep cocktail cold. [For the drink photographed we used an internally glazed clay pot, pre-dipped in chilled water so clay walls stay cold.]
• 40ml Disaronno Originale
• 20ml Ron Barcelo Imperial rum
• 30ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 20ml Sagatiba cachaça
• 30ml Freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice
• 30ml Passion fruit puree
• 10ml White crème de cacao syrup
• 2 dash Absinthe
Comment: Fabulously fruity without being too sweet.

I Scream by Dimopoulos Andreas (contemporary/fun)
Glass: Old-fashioned
Garnish: Cherry, walnut, white chocolate and slice of lime
Method: Stir first 5 ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass (preferably a chunk of block ice). Top with grapefruit soda.
• 20ml Disaronno
• 20ml Wild turkey
• 15ml Schlenkerla smoke beer (rauchbier)
• 10ml Black forest monin syrup
• 20ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 45ml Three Cent's Pink grapefruit soda
Comment: Fruity and slightly sweet - somewhat reminiscent of blackcurrant boiled sweets (hard candy).

The Taste Trip by Fotios Stepsianos (molecular)
Glass: Double old-fashioned
Garnish: Orange, grapefruit foam (4 barspoon texturePro, 300ml orange juice and 300ml pink grapefruit juice combined in a cream whipper and charged with nitrous oxide bulbs). Grate cinnamon stick over the foam
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass over a large ice ball.
• 25ml Disaronno Originale
• 15ml Mezcal Vida Del Maguey
• 10ml Gentiane liqueur
• 10ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 dash Chocolate bitters
• 1 dash Vanilla bitters
Comment: Smoky mezcal and bitter gentaine sit alongside almond in this sweet n sour cocktail. Impossible to drink without gaining a foam moustache.

Elisir Medievale by Kyriakos Tsitsiridakis (batched)
Glass: Double old-fashioned
Garnish: Dill
Method: Combine ingredients in a toasted 1 litre oak cask and age for 20 days at room temperature. To serve, stir 60ml from the cask with ice and strain over a large ice ball in a double old fashioned glass. Some may want to additionally add effervescence to the finished drink by topping with a splash of tonic water.
• 250 ml Disaronno Originale
• 150 ml Green Chartreuse
• 100 ml Cynar
• 100 ml Carpano Antica Formula
• 20ml Tonic water (optional)
Comment: This bittersweet cocktail, freshened with a dash of tonic water, makes for a perfect aperitif.

ITALY

ency 96 image

Medley by Michel Granpasso Orlando (classic)
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Grapefruit zest twist
METHOD: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
• 22.5ml Disaronno
• 30ml Maker's Mark
• 15ml Carpano Antica Formula
• 15ml Fernet Branca
• 5ml Campari
• 5ml Lagavulin 16yo
• 1 dash Angostura Bitter
Comment: Fans of the Hanky Panky, and indeed Fernet Branca, will appreciate this bittersweet digestive cocktail. Amaretto sits well in the drink, being particularly noticeable in the long bitter almondy finish.

Telekistall?! by Andrea Marenda (tiki)
Glass: Tiki mug (small)
Garnish: Three slices of peach, a crushed cocoa bean & sliced almonds. Serve with a straw.
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into mug filled with crushed ice.
• 37.5ml Disaronno originale
• 22.5ml Havana Club 3 year old
• 22.5ml Barbancourt 4 year old
• 15ml Peach Tree original
• 15ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 dash Bob's Chocolate Bitters
Comment: Peachy fruit and amaretto laced with plenty of rum - quintessentially Tiki.

Peat Stop by Matteo Poggini (contemporary/fun)
Glass: Old-fashioned
Garnish: Flamed orange zest twist
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass.
• 25ml Disaronno
• 25ml Lagavulin 16 Years
• 20ml Ron Matusalem Grand Reserva
• 15ml Freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 dash Angostura Orange bitters
Comment: The peat in the name comes from pungent Islay whiskey which is smoothed by sweet rum and amaretto while orange adds zesty freshness. [According to the original recipe this drink should by served in a "petrol pump" - it was submitted to fun category. As we didn't have a petrol pump to hand we photographed in an old-fashioned glass as also instructed in the recipe.]

Tuscany Meets Saronno's Gold by Alessandro Pitanti (batched)
Glass: Old-fashioned
Garnish: Rosemary sprig & lemon zest twist
Method: Combine all ingredients in a ceramic bottle and leave to age for 15 days in a refrigerator 4°C. Then store at -3°C. Serve in ice-filled glass (preferably over an ice ball/block).
• 40ml Disaronno
• 20ml Galliano
• 30ml Vernaccia di San Giminiano Panizzi DOCG 2013 Vigna Santa Margherita white wine
• 4 drops Orange bitters
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 20ml Filtered water
Comment: White wine adds subtle acidity and balance to this delicate cocktail which combines the herbal notes of Galliano with the bittersweet almond of Disaronno.

Find Yourself by Lorenzo Forzoni (molecular)
Glass: Old-fashioned
Garnish: Disaronno foam made by whisking ½ spoon Texturas Sucro by Ferran Adria and 30ml/1oz Disaronno. Dust with grated tonka bean
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass.
• 60ml Disaronno
• 30ml Irish whiskey
• 30ml Sweet vermouth
• 15ml Orange liqueur [I used Grand Marnier]
Comment: In aromatic fluffy island of sits on an icy outcrop in the centre of this lightly sweet, boozy after dinner cocktail.

NETHERLANDS

ency 21 image

Death in Saronno by Petra Norinder (classic)
Glass: Crystal Coupe
Garnish: Lemon zest twist
Method: SHAKE all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
• 30ml Disaronno
• 25ml De Kuyper Dry Orange Curacao
• 25ml Cocchi Americano
• 25ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 dash Fernet Branca
Comment: A rich almondy riff on a Corpse Reviver No. 2.

Disatastic! by Marcel Van Der Ben (tiki)
Glass: Zombie or large tiki mig
Garnish: Dehydrated grapefruit slices, mint sprig & cherry dusted with icing sugar
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into glass/mug two-thirds filled with cubed ice. Top with crushed ice and serve with straw.
• 30ml Disaronno
• 30ml Lemon Hart 151 rum
• 15ml Yuzu juice
• 15ml Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 10ml Housemade Five Spice syrup
• 10ml Grenadine syrup
• 10ml Velvet Falernum liqueur
• 8 drops Bittermens Elamukela Tiki Bitters
Comment: Your particular housemade spice syrup will make of break this cocktail. If using a proprietary product such as Monin's Spicy syrup then I suggest cutting back on the amount used.

Disaronno's Oscar's by Wilson Pires (contemporary/fun)
Glass: Popcorn box
Garnish: Place a plastic cup top over the glass with a straw through and fill the rest of the container with salty popcorn. This serves as a food pairing for the cocktail.
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into Twist & Spark and carbonise drink. Pour into chilled glass placed inside popcorn container.
• 40ml Disaronno
• 10ml Caramelized popcorn infused Coca-Cola*
• 15ml Freshly squeezed orange juice
*Caramelized popcorn infused in Coca-Cola = reduce 2 litres Coca-Cola for 30 minutes at 40º, then add caramelized popcorn and 2 vanilla pods and seal mixture in vacuum bags. Cook in sous vide for one hour at 65º. Finally, fine strain and bottle ready for use.
Comment: Light in alcohol and indeed volume - it's a small drink in a big box, but we love the serve which fits the fun style category.

Mother's Secret Recipe by Lindsay Grunewald (batched)
Glass: Old-fashioned
Garnish: 2 slices of fresh ginger
Method: Spay chilled glass with absinthe and set aside. STIR other ingredients with ice and strain into pre-prepared glass. To prepare batches of this recipe, simple multiply all ingredients other than absinthe in the recipe by the number of drinks you want to make.
• 2 sprays Pernod Absinth from perfume bottle
• 45 ml Disaronno
• 20 ml Bulleit rye whiskey
• 10 ml Monin ginger syrup
• 1 dash Peychaud bitters
Comment: This drink was actually entered as a classic but given the lack of citrus or other ingredients that spoil I thought it also worked well in the batched category. Slightly on the sweet side with a hint of ginger spice, best enjoyed as an after dinner cocktail.

Cyanide Solution by Wouter Bosch, The Duchess in Amsterdam (molecular)
Glass: Old-fashioned
Garnish: Disaronno syrup glazed popcorn skewered on a stick, dusted with Disaronno and Angostura bitter 'cyanide powder'*
Method: Pour ingredients into ice-filled glass and briefly stir to mix. Serve glazed and dusted popcorn garnish across rim or ideally on separate plate. Place a piece of popcorn in your mouth and a sip of the drink to combine and savour flavours.
• 40ml Buffalo Trace Bourbon
• 15ml Disaronno Originale
*Disaronno syrup (for glazing the popcorn): Being careful not to allow to boil and stirring regularly slowly reduce 100ml Disaronno on low heat to 30ml. (This will take up to half an hour.) Place in refrigerator to thicken.
*Disaronno and Angostura bitter powder: You will need Tapioca Maltodextrine (available online it is also known as Malto, Tapioca starch, or N-Zorbit). Tapioca Maltodextrine is highly absorbent and is actually able to encapsulate alcohol. You'll keep the flavour and alcohol, just in powdered form.
*Mix 15ml Disaronno and 5ml Angostura Bitters in a small glass and set aside. Put 50 grams of Tapioca Maltodextrine in a bowl and slowly drip tiny amounts of the liquid into the bowl and quickly but gently whisk it through. This is a delicate and slow process. Keep adding and whisking until all liquid is used and you're left with a slightly firmer powder. If it starts to clump, you are adding liquid too quickly. To create a finer powder, put small amounts at a time to a food processor or blender. Blend till it's fine and keep it in an airtight bag, preferably vacuum sealed.
*Combining the syrup, popcorn and powder: For one serve, skewer 12 kernels on 4 cocktail sticks, so you end up with 3 popcorn kernels on each stick. Coat the popcorn while on the sticks generously in the reduced Disaronno syrup. The dust the popcorn generously with the Disaronno powder.
Comment: A bourbon almond Old Fashioned served with molecular pimped popcorn to reflect the main grain used to make the bourbon.

SPAIN

ency 75 image

Classic Elegance by Alejandro Olmo (classic)
Glass: Double old-fashioned
Garnish: Maraschino cherry and burnt cinnamon stick "cigar"
Method: Muddle lemon and orange peels with angostura and chocolate bitters in base of glass. Add other ingredients and stir with cubed ice.
• 1 fresh Lemon peel
• 1 fresh Orange peel
• 3 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
• 5 dash Chocolate Bitters
• 30ml Disaronno
• 30ml Glenfiddich 12 year old whisky
• 1oml Yzaguirre Reserva Especial vermouth (sweet)
Comment: Rich and chocolatey riff on an old-fashioned with amaretto notes and whisky combining harmoniously.

Ike #2 by Fabio Sinisi (tiki)
Glass: Tiki tumbler
Garnish: Mint sprig and flambéed absinthe soaked brown sugar cube in a half passion fruit shell boat
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and fine strain into glass/mug filled with crushed ice.
• 20ml Disaronno
• 20ml Appleton State Signatura Blend
• 20ml Clement Vieux rum
• 15ml Dry Curaçao liqueur
• 15ml Belvoir Honey & Ginger cordial
• 20ml Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
• 15ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 20ml Absinthe
Comment: Star anise flavours from Absinthe strongly influence this rum-laced Tiki cocktail.

Pecado Original by Álvaro Martín (batched)
Glass: Jam jar
Garnish: Orange zest twist & vanilla pod
Combine all ingredients in a 1.5 litre capacity wooden bottle and age for 15 days, agitating once daily. To serve. Pour 80ml from the bottle, mix with ice using throwing method, and strain into glass over a large ice ball.
• 30cl Disaronno
• 45cl Laphroaig 10 year old whisky
• 20cl Noe Pedro Ximenez 30 year old
• 15 dashes Bitter Truth chocolate bitters
Comment: A heavy-bodied, spirituous after dinner sipper whose appearance in a jam jar is deceptive for such a big drink. (The drink photographed here is even bigger - being a double serve with two ice balls, turning the Pecado Original into an experience to share.)

Disaronno flies over cuckoo's nest by Carlos Vega (contemporary/fun)
Glass: Absinthe
Garnish: Scorched toffee fudge cube on stick presented alongside a smouldering cinnamon stick - ideally presented inside a small cage.
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker. Dry shake (without ice) and fine strain into chilled glass.
• 40ml Disaronno
• 20ml Barceló Imperial
• 15ml Fresh lime juice
• 15ml Fresh orange juice
• 2 spoon Fig marmalade
• 1 fresh Whole quail egg
Comment: A sweet and fruity after-dinner cocktail.

Chiaro Di Luna by Emmanuel Otero (molecular)
Glass: Copita sherry glass
Garnish: Yom Kakaw Rim*
Method: Smoke a glass with cassia root to prepare for cocktail. Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into prepared glass.
• 20ml Disaronno
• 40ml Brandy Jerez Lustau Solera Gran Reserva
• 20ml Freshly squeezed orange juice
• 20ml Spiced Disaronno egg white*
*Spiced Disaronno egg white - Muddle 15 gram jamaican pepper, 16 cloves and 2 gram of ground nutmeg and cold macerate in 350 ml Disaronno for seven days in cold. Fine strain and add to this 36 gram powdered Albumin, stir and rest for three hours.
*Yom Kakaw - Traditional aztec chocolate with almond aroma. Cook all the following ingredients together in a pot until homogenized. Allow to cool and grind. 125g black 70% cocao chocolate, 350ml water, 1 barspoon Jamaican pepper, ½ vanilla pod (split open), 1 chopped cayenne and 150ml orgeat syrup.
Comment: This drink has a spiced chocolate orange-like flavour enlivened by the cayenne spiced rim. Incidentally, Chiaro Di Luna translates from Italian to mean Moonlight.

SWEDEN

ency 16 image

The Uncle by Nathan Carlesso (classic)
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Lemon zest twist
Method; Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
• 25ml Disaronno
• 25ml Talisker 10 year old whisky
• 15ml Campari
• 7.5ml Benedictine D.O.M. liqueur
• 2 dash Orange bitters
Comment: Campari adds to the bittersweet nature of this aperitif cocktail which harnesses the happy marriage of amaretto and whisky.

The Smokey Yankee in Saronno by Kenneth Swärd (tiki)
Glass: Tin cup or tiki mug
Garnish: Pineapple wedge, pineapple leaf & mint spring
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into mug or tin filled with crushed ice.
• 15ml Disaronno
• 10ml Mezcal
• 10 fresh Mint leaves
• 40ml Pressed pineapple juice
• 20ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
Comment: Mezcal adds the hint of smoke alluded to in the name with amaretto freshened and made fruity with pineapple, mint and lime.

Courtesy of Disaronno by David Berfner (contemporary/fun)
Glass: Vampire Sipper (300 ml) glass
Garnish: Top with bunch red currants, mint spring & powdered sugar
Method: Muddle red currants in base of shaker. Add other ingredients, shake with ice and fine strain into glass filled with crushed ice.
• 20 gram Red currants
• 30ml Disaronno
• 20ml Janneau VSOP Grand Armagnac
• 2 sprigs Mint
• 20ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 10ml Sugar syrup
• 10ml Green Chartreuse
Comment: Fruity and citrusy with red currants, mint, lemon and Disaronno contributing the most flavour.

Lions' Walk by Dosa Ivanov (batched)
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Lemon zest twist
Method: Combine first 3 ingredients in a 1 litre oak cask and leave to mature. To serve, pour 60ml from the cask into mixing glass. Add orange flower water and lime juice, stir with ice, and strain into chilled glass over one large cube of block ice.
• 150 ml Disaronno
• 150 ml Punt e Mes
• 300 ml The Naked Grouse grain whisky
• 3 dash Orange flower water
• 2 dash Freshly squeezed lime juice
Comment: Surprisingly fresh and light with the lime juice and orange flower water freshening the final drink. Amaretto notes shine throughout marrying well with the Scotch grain whisky.

The Burro by Roberto Escobar Rodriguez (molecular)
Glass: Double old-fashioned
Garnish: Float citrus foam (4 egg whites, 4cl lime juice, 1 zest lemon) on top of the drink and dust with crushed Werther's Original hard candies and sea salt
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass over a single large ice cube.
• 50ml Brown butter fatwashed Don Julio Reposado tequila*
• 30ml Disaronno Originale
• 15ml Maple Syrup
*Fatwashed tequila: Take 150 grams of butter and cook on a medium heat in a saucepan until the butter turns amber in colour. Take off the heat and allow to cool but whilst still runny pour into a bottle of reposado tequila and leave to infuse for at least an hour before placing in freezer. After 12 hours remove from the freezer and filter to remove fat. Clean bottle and pour tequila back into bottle. The tequila should now have a nutty caramel aroma and a slight salty taste. Store in a refrigerator and use within one week.
Comment: Rich yet spirituous with a creamy mouthfeel - particularly when sipped through the citrusy foam. Try without the foam and the Werther's Originals on the side as an after-dinner drink.

UK

ency 67 image

Rod's Blood by Federico 'Freddi' Gisbert Johnson (classic)
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Grapefruit zest twist (discard)
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
• 45ml Knob Creek bourbon
• 20ml Disaronno
• 20ml Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
• 1 dash Grapefruit bitters
Comment: Reminiscent of a Sweet Manhattan with zesty grapefruit extenuating almond notes from the amaretto. (I upped the bourbon to 45ml from Freddi's original spec of 40ml.)

Deep Spice Nine by Andy Stewart (tiki)
Glass: Tiki mug
Garnish: Half lime shell boat (squeezed in a Mexican elbow) with sugar cube placed in the centre, half filled with overproof rum. Using extreme caution, ignite rum and dust with cinnamon and icing sugar - mixed 1/3 cinnamon to 2/3 icing sugar. (The sugar will create a small fireball whilst the cinnamon will sparkle.) Be sure to wait for flames to die before consuming drink.
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a tiki mug half filled with crushed ice. Churn and then fill to the brim with crushed ice.
• 20ml Disaronno
• 75ml Sailor Jerry Spiced rum
• 75ml Kraken Spiced rum
• 75ml Chairman's Reserve Spiced rum
• 12.5ml Dark Matter Spiced Rum
• 10ml Ancho Reyes liqueur
• 40ml Pink grapefruit juice
• 20ml Pineapple juice
• 25ml Orgeat syrup
Comment: A quartet of spiced rums, almondy amaretto and a touch of chilli liqueur combine harmoniously.

Chiaroscuro by Jessica Hellicar (batched)
Glass: Baby coupe
Garnish: Lemon zest twist
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass. Multiple recipe to make pre-batched quantities.
• 30ml Disaronno
• 30ml Bulleit Bourbon
• 20ml Cointreau
• 40ml Amaro Montenegro
• 10ml Raspberry balsamic glaze
Comment: Well-balanced with amaro and raspberry balsamic adding depth and complexity. Designed to be a batched cocktail - hence the lack of citrus with raspberry balsamic adding key balancing acidity.

Simon's Swift half by Craig Rex Robertson (contemporary/fun)
Glass: Half pint tankard
Method: Shake first five ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker. Dry shake (without ice) and fine strain into ice-filled glass. Top with cold ginger beer.
• 40ml Disaronno
• 20ml Domaine de Canton Ginger Liquor
• 20ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 20ml Honey water
• 20ml Egg white
• Top with Fever Tree Ginger Beer
Comment: Ginger spice cuts through the almost creamy mouthfeel of this sweet n sour almondy cocktail.

Black and Yellow of Mihai Cosmin Ababei (molecular)
Glass: Nick & Nora
Garnish: Rim the glass with lemon juice and cocoa powder. Top the drink with Yellow Chartreuse foam made with 200ml Yellow Chartreuse, 150ml egg white, 150ml water and 2 bars of gelatine. Pour into a cream whipper and charge with nitrous oxide bulbs
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into pre-prepared chilled glass.
• 15ml Disaronno
• 30ml Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky
• 5 dash Bob's Liquorice Bitters
• 5 ml Blackstrap molasses diluted 50:50 with water
• 25 ml Tepache*
*Tepache is South American drink made from pineapple. To make chop the rind of one pineapple and please ina large jar. Add: ½ litre pineapple juice, 1 stick cinnamon, 5 dried cloves, 5 tamarind pods and 200 ml water.
Cover jar and leave to ferment for four days, then add 250 ml brown sugar and leave it to ferment for a further three days days. After one week is ready to use.
Comment: We liked the combination of traditional tepache and very contemporary nitrous oxide foam in what is a tasty drink.

USA

ency 73 image

Backwards Snap by Spencer Shelton (classic)
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: English lavender wrapped in trimmed orange peel
Method: Shake first 5 ingredients with ice and strain (not fine) into chilled glass. Float red wine for claret snap.
• 22.5ml Disaronno
• 7.5ml Simple Syrup
• 15ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 45ml Plymouth Gin
• 2 dash Barkeep Lavender Bitters
• 15ml Full-bodied red wine
Comment: A layer red wine caps and completes this refreshing cocktail - both visually and in terms of flavour.

Bean of the Sea by Douglas Bedford (tiki)
Glass: Tiki mug (10 oz)
Garnish: Sprinkle ground coffee and cinnamon dust on split pineapple wedge and place on rim. Use a chef's sprayer containing Smith and Cross rum to spray and flame garnish for 2-5 seconds to awaken aromas. Then add umbrella, straw, pineapple ears, lime wheel and 3 coffee beans
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a Tiki Mug filled with cubed ice). Crown with crushed ice.
• 15ml Disaronno
• 30ml Rhum J.M.
• 15ml Zacapa 23 Solera rum
• 15ml Smith & Cross rum
• 15ml St. George Nola coffee liqueur
• 15ml Coco Real cream of coconut
• 15ml Small Hands Passion fruit syrup
• 22.5ml Pressed pineapple juice
• 7.5ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 3 dashes Scrappy Lime Bitters
Comment: A trio of rich rums, amaretto and coffee liqueurs, cream of coconut, passion fruit syrup, pineapple and lime - archetypal Tiki.

The Magic Oak by Jacopo Rosito (batched)
Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Orange zest twist & cinnamon stick
Method: Combine all ingredients and pour into oak cask. Age for one month and then strain through a cheesecloth into a glass bottle and leave for a week to rest. To Serve: Stir 90ml of the aged mixture with ice and strain into ice-filled glass (preferably over one large cube of block ice).
• 30ml Disaronno
• 45ml Rutte Old Simon
• 15ml Vida Mezcal Del Maguey
• 2 drops Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters
Comment: Rich almond with bready genever and the smoky notes of mezcal.

Il Cuscino Cocktail (The Pillow) by Joshua-Peter Smith (molecular)
Glass: Collins (14oz)
Garnish: Thyme sprigs
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker. Dry shake and fine strain into a chilled cream whipper, seal and charge with nitrous oxide bulbs. Lightly shake cream whipper and then dispense into chilled (empty) glass. Slowly pour soda onto drink from a height to encourage foaming head to rise.
• 15ml Disaronno
• 60ml Tea & herb infused Tanqueray No. Ten Gin*
• 22.5ml Freshly squeezed lime juice
• 15ml Honey simple syrup
• 30ml Egg white
• 30ml Heavy cream
• 45ml Soda water
* Tea & herb infused Tanqueray No. Ten Gin - in a suitable 3 litre container, infuse 1 litre Tanqueray No. Ten Gin with a herb bag containing: 10 dried orange blossoms, 5 dried rosehips, teaspoon dried lemon and dried orange rinds, 5 dried apple wheels and ½ teaspoon dried eucalyptus leaves. Seal and leave in cool location for 36 hours, gently agitating every 12 hours. Remove steeping bag from gin and rebottle.
Comment: Surprisingly light and very flavoursome - a contemporary herbal challenger to a Ramos Gin Fizz.

La Madonna Di Saronno by Karl Lipscomb (contemporary/fun)
Glass: Nick & Nora
Garnish: Lemon zest twist (discarded) & biscotti biscuit resting on rim
Method: Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.
• 15ml Disaronno
• 45ml Plantation Pineapple Rum
• 15ml Faretti Biscotti Famosi liqueur
• 15ml Cinnamon Syrup (1:1)
Comment: Rich but not too sweet with almond, pineapple and mild spice.

Join the Discussion


... comment(s) for The Mixing Star Project

You must log in to your account to make a comment.

Report comment

You must be logged in to upvote or downvote a comment

Click here to login
Welcome to Difford's Guide

All editorial and photography on this website is copyright protected

© Odd Firm of Sin 2024