Nadia George
February 22, 2024
New York has always enjoyed a special spot on the international map, as far as great, dynamic cities go. It is a culture in itself, which means its culinary and drinking scene is just as rich and inventive.
A delectable concoction marking one of New York’s classic areas is the Red Hook which is rather similar to the Bay Ridge, except it contains a full-bodied vermouth and some maraschino liqueur that makes it a tad sweeter than its close cousin.
Swap out the whisky for a sorrel gin when you are crafting a twist that includes the flavours of a Crown Heights negroni. With this mix, you can include aged vermouth and Italian bitters into the Bay Ridge recipe along with the prune brandy to give the drink a slightly complex touch.
This cocktail contains rosso vermouth and aromatic bitters which introduce a sweet and sour quality into the cocktail. When crafting a slight variation of the Bay Ridge, you can include both these ingredients into the recipe while doing away with the dry vermouth.
This drink is made from rather similar ingredients that go into crafting a quintessential Bay Ridge. However, the addition of chilled water in the recipe reduces the intensity of the sweet and tart ingredients, making the cocktail slightly more approachable.
Another neighbourhood classic, the Bushwick is also crafted from rye whisky, except it is a bold drink with very apparent sweet notes. If the bitterness of the Bay Ridge becomes too much to handle, introduce a floral aperitif into the drink or simply do away with the dry vermouth.