Pre-Que

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Barbecue (or BBQ) is synonymous with beer. BBQ season tends to be during the hot months and beer is refreshing and will wash down your big, rich, savory meal. This cocktail was created for the pre-BBQ. You know, before the grill is even lit or when you are prepping the meal. The Pre-Que will open up your palette, stimulate your appetite and introduce the BBQ flavors to your taste buds before you even eat anything.

The Pre-Que cocktail recipe:

  • 2 oz rye whiskey

  •  .75 oz Dolin Blanc

  • .5 oz Ramazzotti Amaro

  • Barspoon Vanilla Giffard

  • 1 dash Cocktail Punk Smoked Orange bitters

  • 1 dash Crude Smoke and Salt bitters (salt tincture can used with whole peppercorns in the mixing glass)

  • orange peel for garnish

Add your ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until properly diluted and cold. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with orange peel. 

Substitutions:

Ramazzotti: I highly recommend using Ramazzotti as it imparts nice root beer and caramel notes. Amaro Averna or Amaro Meletti can be substituted in a pinch. Amaro Sibilla would probably work perfectly here instead of the Ramazzotti with the smokey oak and honey flavors, but it's expensive and hard to find. If you have a bottle, go for it and report back.

Vanilla Giffard: Vanilla simple syrup can be used here or Tuaca, if necessary. 

Smokey bitters: Try using a smokey/peaty scotch, like Laphroaig, to rinse the glass prior to adding the cocktail. Be sure to discard the residue before adding cocktail.  I have never tried this, but another route could be to use liquid smoke, but only the tiniest of drops. Be sure to add a drop of aromatic bitters and orange bitters as well as a tiny pinch of salt, if you do either of these methods.