October 11, 2024

When we went to Channing Daughters a few weeks ago, we tried a couple of their vermouths, and I took home two bottles, of versions one and two.  I had the thought that two, with its spicy taste, might work well in a Bloody Mary.  We may have wine almost every night, but we only have cocktails on the weekend, and I had not yet had the opportunity of trying out my theory.  However, last week I bought a bottle of V8 juice, so now was a good chance to see if I was right.

My tasting buddy opened the bottle of vermouth, which had a cork—fortunately, I sometimes save stoppers, and found one to fit—and I got out my ingredients.  A shot of vermouth, fill the rest of the glass with V8, leaving room for ice, and add Worcestershire sauce, a dash of hot sauce, a squeeze of lime, and a pepperoncini for garnish.  I could have added horseradish, but I didn’t think of it till later, but I may try that next time.  Because there will certainly be a next time.  It was delicious, the spiciness of the vermouth adding more to the flavor of the drink than vodka, and the lower alcohol content leaving space for our usual glass of wine.  A few North Fork potato chips made our cocktail hour complete.