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Bitter Giuseppe
It's bitter Giuseppe, best you enjoy this as an aperitivo
Robert Spain
12th October 2025 at 12:18
Wonderful aperitif. I love Cynar, and sweet vermouth combinations, and this one is really amazing. It's low abv, and lemon really shines here.
1st June 2025 at 22:12
I am a big fan of cynar, so I was excited to come across the Bitter Giuseppe. I think the version with 1/4 oz Lemon juice and 6 dashes of orange bitters (I use Luxardo) is perfect.
I have also created a Smoky Giuseppe which I think is even better. I think Cynar 70 and mezcal work well together.
Smoky Giuseppe
2oz Cynar 70
1oz Dolin Vermouth Rouge
1/4oz Mezcal
1/2oz Apricot Brandy
1/4oz Cherry Heering
1/4oz lemon juice
6 dashes Orange bitters
I have also created a Smoky Giuseppe which I think is even better. I think Cynar 70 and mezcal work well together.
Smoky Giuseppe
2oz Cynar 70
1oz Dolin Vermouth Rouge
1/4oz Mezcal
1/2oz Apricot Brandy
1/4oz Cherry Heering
1/4oz lemon juice
6 dashes Orange bitters
24th January at 15:05
We think that you've turned the bold, austere and characterful original into a non-descript and tooty fruity...well, something. But 10 out of 10 points for the courage to go where angels fear to tread.
4th November 2025 at 16:22
I didn't have Cynar 70 but this is still delicious with the regular ABV one. Chapeu! You should upload this as a recipe here so I can favourite it.
18th April 2025 at 02:09
I made this with Cynar 70. Surprisingly sweet with a long bitter finish. Four stars.
28th March 2025 at 22:21
An oddity of a stirred drink yet quite pleasant, tartness does tone down the vermouth and lets cynar take the main stage.
15th November 2024 at 11:13
I had high hopes for this cocktail, which I made with Cynar 70 proof. However, I found it too tart and citrusy. Will try tuning down bitters next time. I only have Angostura Orange Bitters, that I am not too fond of. I wonder if more premium bitters would have made a better cocktail.
15th November 2024 at 12:09
Agreed. Looking below, in a previous comment, I said 6 dashes of bitters were too much so I have reverted to 3 dashes.
11th July 2024 at 19:58
Could you sub Antica for say Dolin Rouge or another Rosso style Vermouth? Anitica contains gelatine (V). Love Cynar.
1st June 2025 at 22:02
I make this with Dolin Rouge and 6 dashes of luxardo orange bitters
1st September 2024 at 14:04
Anything to add a bit more body,eg vermouth di Torino, or even 50:50 Dolin and punt e mes.
26th April 2024 at 12:46
As a variation, and being in the mood for gin, I bumped everything back by a third and added 40ml of gin, making a …cin-cyn Giuseppe?
29th April 2024 at 17:35
for unrelated reasons I had a hankering for cynar and stumbled across your comment - a very tasty variant, though I think I prefer the cleanliness of the original :D
26th April 2024 at 11:51
I’m a fan of Cynar, even more so after trying this! I made it as a half as wasn’t sure - but quickly wished more! Agreed re the underlying sweetness. And the orange bitters and carpano go beautifully. Will definitely be making again.
26th April 2024 at 11:53
And, yes, reminiscent of a Negroni but more approachable, as Erik says.
26th May 2023 at 18:49
omg this is delicious. it's tart for sure, but there is an underlying sweetness and something about it is light and refreshing, despite its color
7th January 2023 at 17:49
I was really surprised by the taste of this cocktail even though I had tried cynar before. The lemon juice and the antica formula transforms to a bitter style cola cocktail, which was not expected. Very approachable, much more so than the negroni!
Anonymous
15th November 2021 at 00:02
I'm used to the ratios as listed in the nytimes article from Pascal. Try adding 1/2oz Tanqueray as well, got the idea from Eeyore's Requim.
22nd February 2021 at 18:56
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018337-bitter-giuseppe has a more interesting ratio.
15th November 2021 at 19:14
With 6 dashes of orange bitters and 1/4oz lemon juice, I find the NY Times recipe too citrusy. However, thanks to your feedback, I've amended the above to 5ml lemon juice and 3 dashes bitters.
26th December 2020 at 21:53
I adjust this slightly with a 1/2 oz of lemon juice instead of a 1/12 oz. It changes the flavour subtlety but feels more balanced to me.
13th December 2020 at 00:36
Strange but delightful aperitivo.
6th December 2020 at 03:30
The 2,5ml of lemon and the zeist squeeze makes ALL the difference