BY MATTHEW BIANCANIELLO
Floral, caramel, strawberry
Serve this as an aperitif with baked ricotta, carpaccio, or prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks.
There are few better places to experience field-to-glass cocktails than at the Library Bar in L.A.’s Roosevelt Hotel, known for bartenders who shop the farmers’ market for fresh ingredients. The bar’s small, intimate counter is covered in cups and glasses brimming with the earth’s bounty waiting to be used in imaginative creations. When Matthew Biancaniello was bartending there, he created this original, which plays off the classic Italian pairing of fresh strawberries drizzled with aged balsamic. Note that this drink requires an ISI whip (a kitchen tool used to whip cream) in order to create the St. Germain foam.
FOR THE ST. GERMAIN FOAM
1 cup (240 ml) St. Germain
1 cup (240 ml) egg whites
1 ounce (30 ml) fresh lime juice
FOR THE COCKTAIL
2 ounces (60 ml) gin (Hendrick’s)
1 ounce (30 ml) 25-year aged balsamic vinegar
3 to 4 medium strawberries, plus half a strawberry for garnish
St. Germain foam
To make the St. Germain foam, add ingredients into an ISI whip. Charge it twice with nitrous oxide (N2O) and shake well.
For the cocktail, muddle the strawberries with balsamic vinegar in a shaker. Add gin and shake with ice. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Top with St. Germain foam. Garnish.