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This Sandwich Topping is Taking Over the Cocktail World

Madison

How did oil and vinegar become the hottest ingredients in the cocktail world?


Olive oil and vinegar are lifelong companions. Mixed together in a salad dressing? Delicious. As a dip for fresh bread? Of course. Topping your Italian sub? Amazing. But how about mixing them into your cocktail? Some of the finest bartenders in the country are already incorporating this unlikely pair of ingredients into drinks with intriguing names, like the Caprese Martini and the Negroni Verde.

Trevor Easton Langer, a bartender at Jac's on Bond, one of the most popular bars in the city, created the Caprese Martini (olive oil, tomato, and basil-infused Grey Goose Vodka, Lustau blanco, and balsamic vinegar) because of his love for the classic Italian tomato, mozzarella, and basil dish.

The balsamic adds acidity, of course, but it's balanced by the oil - similar to the salad itself.

“All the flavors in the drink harmonize so beautifully, the same way that they do when it’s plated as a salad,” says Easton Langer, who also wanted to mimic the dish by giving the drink a “velvety mouthfeel.” - according to Robb Report.


Easton Langer argues that these oil and vinegar cocktails are part of a larger global culinary cocktail movement, which asks us to enjoy our drinks as we would a high-quality dish and sends bartenders to the kitchen in search of inspiration.

Principe's Negroni Verde starts with a base of gin, bitters, fennel liquor, and Chartreuse, before it's finished off with a high-quality olive oil. Al Coro's Kind of Blue uses balsamic vinegar alongside blueberries in a highbrow take on the classic sherry cobbler, according to Imbibe Magazine. Other new ideas to incorporate the substances range from vinegar-laced Manhattans to spritzers and old fashioneds.


The concept of drinking vinegar isn't exactly new. Throughout history, it has been consumed mixed with water and alone, both as an ancient hydration drink and a modern home remedy. There's plenty of bottled "vinegar drinks" out there like apple cider vinegar tonics that support a variety of health benefits.

As for olive oil, bartenders aren't the only ones experimenting with it. Starbuck's "Oleato" line is introducing the combo of olive oil and coffee to the U.S.


So, if it's good enough for your sandwiches, why wouldn't it be good for your fancy cocktail?



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