Salers Tonic — The Auvergne gentian, long over tonic with an orange twist

Salers Tonic

The Auvergne gentian, long over tonic with an orange twist

Number of people

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 ozTonic Water
    Ice-cold
    Substitute: Soda water, for a less sweet glass
  • 1 1/2 ozSalers Gentiane
    Poured over a full glass of ice
    Substitute: Avèze or Suze, both drier

Instructions

  1. Fill a large wine glass with ice
  2. Pour 1 1/2 oz Salers Gentiane over the ice, then top with 3 1/2 oz cold tonic
  3. Express an orange twist over the surface and drop it in

Technique Notes

A big wine glass rather than a highball. Salers is only sixteen percent, so the drink wants surface area and a lot of ice rather than height, and the orange oil needs somewhere to sit.

Why the Salers Tonic Works

Gentian and quinine are both bitter, which sounds like a mistake and works because they are bitter in different places. Gentian is earthy and low, quinine is dry and high, and the orange twist bridges them.