Native Angeleno Kate Grutman can normally be found behind the bar at the Tar Pit or Terroni but on Monday evening she was showcasing several of her new cocktails at the Test Kitchen. Her signature cocktail of the evening was the aptly named Kiss Me Kate. The clear cocktail is smooth and crisp and the small amount of orange bitters in the drink add some roundness without taking over.
Grutman selected Beefeater 24 as the base spirit in the Kiss Me Kate as the Beefeater 24 has strong grapefruit flavor elements and grapefruit is a classic pairing with Maraschino, which she planned to include in the cocktail. Grutman noted that Beefeater 24 also has notes of orange peel and Sencha (green tea) which led to her to add the orange bitters, the bianco vermouth and the Lillet to round out the natural acidity and smoothness in the gin. Maraska is a Maraschino, a clear liqueur made from Marasca cherries, including the pits, from Zadar, Croatia. Maraska is an aromatic maraschino, which Grutman chose over Luxardo Maraschino, for its earthier and funkier flavor profile.
If you like a classic gin martini (is there any other kind?) then the Kiss Me Kate may be your kind of drink. Crisp but booze forward, no citrus other than the bitters, fresh and well balanced. Grutman described the drink as "clean and aromatic and leaves you kissable." Now that is my kind of endorsement.
The ingredients are:
1 tsp Maraska Maraschino
0.25 oz Martini & Rossi Bianco Vermouth
0.25 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth
0.50 oz Lillet Blanc
1.50 oz Beefeater 24 Gin
1 dash of orange bitters
edible flowers
Directions:
Pour all the ingredients (except the flowers) into a pint glass with several pieces of ice. Stir for several minutes. Once the beverage is suitably cold, pour into a coupe glass and garnish with flower(s).
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| Kate Grutman at Test Kitchen |
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