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Best
Flavor:
Brazen Bean's Screaming Rita. The rusty-nail quality of
tequila gives this drink proper bite, though you might want
to bring
a Wet-Nap along
to counteract
the sticky-fingers effect of the sugar-rimmed glass. $6,
2075 NW Glisan St., 294-0636.
Prettiest
Presentation:
The Big Apple
at Oritalia. This concoction of
ginger- and
cinnamon-infused Skyy vodka, Boulard Calvados (apple brandy)
and apple juice
is shaken and strained to aesthetic perfection. It's the
pleasing color of a Tuscan sunset, with a cinnamon stick
floating on top. $7, 750 SW Alder St., 295-0680.
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Shane Richman let out a disbelieving chuckle when I asked
him about apple martinis. "I've been a bartender
for 18 years," replied Richman, who now slings at the Tiger
Bar, "and I never got a call for an apple martini until
the last couple of weeks."
Richman reckons that at least five customers have recently
asked for the relatively new cocktail known varyingly as
a Granny Smith martini, Big Apple, Polish Apple and Sour
Apple martini. While a half-dozen demands hardly constitute
a stampede, Richman's observation points to a trend in the
making.
Dave Williams of the Cobalt Lounge added an apple
martini to the libations list within the past month at the
behest of his wife. He's says it's too soon to gauge the
success of the sweet-and-sour drink, but consider the situation
at the Brazen Bean. Co-owner Huston Davis reports
that the swanky cocktail/cigar den, known for its rainbow
array of martinis, offers two versions of the drink on its
ever-changing menu. The Apple Martini consists of vodka
(infused with apples in the summer) plus lemon-lime, or
plain vodka with apple liqueur in winter, and the Screaming
Rita, which presents tequila and apple liqueur in a glass
with a sugared rim. "People still ask for them if they're
not on the menu," says Davis.
Oritalia augmented its bill of specialty cocktails
with the top-listed Big Apple martini a month ago, and Atwater's
has been serving up a Granny Smith 'tini since its so-called
"martini revival" (the introduction of 50 specialty martinis)
kicked in last year. Atwater's Bar Manager Matthew Meskel,
who makes his with DeKuyper, Monapalau, ginger vodka and
a cherry garnish, says the beverage is "very popular," especially
since he added ginger to the vodka. So what makes this cocktail
a comer? Sex appeal.
In short, this is a chick drink. Two basic versions of
the vodka-based apple martini exist: One relies on a spirit
such as DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker for fruity flavor, the
other employs puréed apples, apple juice or cider.
When made with DeKuyper, the cocktail imparts a Schwa-like
green glow and tastes very much like a cooked-down Jolly
Rancher. It looks fun and tastes like candy. For anyone
who cut their baby teeth on Bacardi Breezers and amaretto
sours, the apple martini is an easy drink to knock back
again and again.
If you prefer your liquor sharp, the apple martini is probably
not for you. I whipped up a batch at home for a few friends
using a two-to-one pour of Smirnoff vodka and DeKuyper Pucker,
shaken with muddled Granny Smith slices. The reception was
not overwhelmingly warm. Everyone liked the ethereal chartreuse
hue, but after one sip, most screwed up their kissers and
proclaimed it too apple-y. And promptly grabbed a beer back.
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