My friend Jason Neroni is the king of flipping flavors and creating something new. At his restaurant, Catch and Release, he does just that all over the menu (everything bagel dusted burrata, for instance). My favorite moment of his evil genius is in the form of The Neroni, a playful twist on a negroni, with the addition of pistachio infused gin. I love pistachio anything, and I’m getting into negronis, so I thought I’d whip up a batch myself. I took his Neroni and twisted it one step further, making a Neroli – the common name for orange blossom. I added a touch of orange blossom water and simple syrup, plus a giant slice of orange, and then just sat back and enjoyed. I never expected a twist of a twist to be so delicious!
INGREDIENTS
1 ounce pistachio infused gin (recipe below)
1 ounce campari
1 ounce amaro
Amaro Ramazzotti is my fave for this
1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
1 teaspoon simple syrup
1 orange slice, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Over tons of ice, stir together gin, campari, amaro, orange blossom water, and simple syrup. Strain into a tumbler over ice, and garnish with an orange slice.
INGREDIENTS (PISTACHIO INFUSED GIN)
2 cups gin
1/2 cup pistachios, warmed
DIRECTIONS
Combine the pistachios and gin in a jar with a lid. Seal, and let it sit in a cool, dry place for at least a week and up to a month. Strain, and enjoy!
