A new article out from Liquor.com lists the 16 most underrated cocktails according to a collection of bartenders from around the country. It is not a bad list.
I was happy to see my go-to cocktail, the Negroni, was listed, though I think it is getting a lot more attention than it used to get. The inclusion of both the Vieux Carré and Sazerac is something I am in complete agreement with, particularly in the case of Vieux Carré.
In further proof of how underrated it is, the Martinez did not make the list. With the right marketing, the Martinez could easily be the most sought after classic cocktail. But since I recently wrote about it, I’ll add another; The Pegu Club.
It’s not just the current heat wave that has me thinking about this very refreshing drink, but it doesn’t hurt. This is a simple and under appreciated cocktail that easily should have made the list. I typically work off the recipe from Brad Thomas Parson’s Bitters book:
2 oz London dry gin, usually Plymouth, sometimes Bombay Sapphire (as pictured above)
.75 oz orange Curaçao
.5 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
1 dash Angostura (or Orinoco Bitters)
1 dash orange bitters
Shake, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
And, of course, if you’re in New York, it’s always worth having a Pegu Club Cocktail at the Pegu Club.
Cheers!
Gin & Bitters 