SALOMÉ

Herbaceous, bitter, juniper

Play off the herbs in the gin and Dubonnet with a charcuterie board. Pâtés and aged cheeses are first-rate companions.

Also called the Vendôme, after the Vendôme Club in Hollywood—where this drink probably appealed to Tinsel Town royalty like Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford—this cocktail is as seductive as the femme fatale for which it is named. A little dancing, a beheading, you never know what could be in store after a few of these. For a variation called the Appetizer, skip the vermouth. It reinforces the fact that gin and Dubonnet are heaven together.

    1 ounce (30 ml) gin (Plymouth)

    1 ounce (30 ml) Dubonnet Rouge

    1 ounce (30 ml) dry vermouth (Dolin)

    Lemon twist, for garnish

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. To garnish, twist the peel over the surface of the cocktail to express the oil. Then, discard the twist.