Captain Americano — St. George's own long serve for its Californian bitter, over ice with soda

Captain Americano

St. George's own long serve for its Californian bitter, over ice with soda

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 3 ozSoda Water
    Ice-cold, added last
  • 1 1/2 ozBruto Americano
    Poured over the ice first
    Substitute: Another gentian-led red bitter
  • 1 1/2 ozSweet Vermouth
    A rich Italian style

Instructions

  1. Fill a highball with ice and add 1 1/2 oz Bruto Americano and 1 1/2 oz sweet vermouth
  2. Top with 3 oz cold soda
  3. Stir gently and garnish with an orange peel

Technique Notes

Stir gently once the soda is in, not before. Bruto is dense with gentian and fir and drops to the bottom; stirring it up first and adding soda after gives you a strong first inch and a plain last one.

Why the Captain Americano Works

Bruto is fir and gentian where Campari is orange and rhubarb, so the same Americano build lands woodier and drier. Sweet vermouth is the bridge; without it the fir reads medicinal rather than resinous.