Friday, May 15, 2009
Food & Drink / Food Chain The Hard Sell, not so hard after all
Posted by Mike Sula on 05.15.09 at 10:30 AM
Based on the bitter, intemperate comments following my story on Malort cocktails last month, I know how difficult it still is for some to believe you can—or shouldhttp://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-bedford-mark-steuer/Content?oid=4028013make a delicious, balanced drink with Chicago's native wormwood liqueur and still preserve its two-fisted integrity. And yet, Bar DeVille's Brad Bolt is taking the case to another arena.
Bolthttp://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-bedford-mark-steuer/Content?oid=4028013who converted the ultimate skeptic,Jeppson's Malort owner Pat Gabelickhttp://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-bedford-mark-steuer/Content?oid=4028013reports his elderflower-Malort-gin-lemon-juice potion the Hard Sell tied for first place in a monthly cocktail competition sponsored by St-Germain. He slightly modified the drink, bumping up the elderflower liqueur to one ounce from 3/4, submitted the recipe, and now he's going to New York at the end of June to compete against a dozen other mixologists in the St-Germain Can-Can Classic. First place in that competition wins a weeklong trip for two to Paris.
Of course, you can't get Malort in New York City, so Bolt's shipping a bottle ahead.
Comments (1)
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I enjoyed a Hard Sell at BdV week before last, and thought it was just dandy. Oddly, though, the flavor of Malort was almost submerged beneath the grapefruit, which is not necessarily a bad thing, and it does point up the fact that Malort is, finally, a rather thin, one-dimensional bitter. I wonder if those who inveigh against Malort are familiar with just how powerful some digestifs can be. To wit: Fernet Branca or her minty kid sister, Fernet Menta. Based on blunt bitter power alone, either of these boozes could kick Malort's ass.
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