Casanova
Casanova adapted from Salvatore Dali
I had to get a bit creative to come up with a decent toast for Australian artist Juno’s artistic new conundrum, the “Dial Case”. Searching for “dial” cocktails reveals that there was a very clever and now vintage cocktail shaker which allowed the user to literally dial in various recipes for classic cocktails. The shaker has been reproduced and is widely available. However, no specific “dial” cocktail exists, and I considered creating one. But I decided to turn this into a puzzle instead, and rearranged the letters, until I got: Dali.
“Drink… and wait for the effect.
It is rather speedy.”
Les Diners de Gala, Salvatore Dali, 1973
Believe it or not, Dali, the famous surrealist painter, had a cocktail he created. Believe it or not, he wrote an entire cookbook, Les Diners de Gala, 1973, in which said cocktail was featured. The drink, which Dali amorously dubbed “The Casanova”, is an intriguing mix of orange juice, Campari, ginger, brandy, “old brandy”, and cayenne pepper. What exactly is “old brandy”, one might ask? Thoughtfully, the book specifies that this refers to Vieille Cure, a French monastic (the Abbaye de Cenon) herbal liqueur made from armagnac and cognac infused with herbs, spices, sugar and honey, which ceased production in 1986. Historical comparisons commonly include Chartreuse, although it was likely unique. But recreating the recipe with sweeter yellow Chartreuse proved highly effective. The original recipe, which calls for juice from a whole orange, is heavy handed, and modern tastes would steer away from so much orange juice. I dialed it back to one ounce, which was just right. This modern day Casanova will seduce you – cheers!
Dialing daliance
Casanova (adapted from Salvatore Dali)
2 oz cognac
1 oz yellow Chartreuse
½ oz Campari
1 oz fresh squeezed orange
2 dashes habanero tincture
Ginger coin
Muddle the ginger slice in the bottom of a shaker tin. Add the remaining ingredients, shake with ice and strain into a seductive glass. Dali-esque melting dial case garnish, optional.
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