Friday, December 02, 2005
Rome Baby Rome!
From London to Rome, and the Stravinskij Bar at the Hotel Russie.
This was pitched in the guidebooks as one of the most upmarket/hip bars in Rome (Hotel bars in Europe sure could teach those in NZ a thing or two ;-)
We arrived looking what we thought would pass for suitable glam and were welcomed in by the maitre d', shunning the offered table for 2 I asked if we could sit at the bar as I wanted to see the workings of the place.
And we weren't disappointed. Some of the nicest complimentary 'bar snacks' I've ever seen (including what appeared to be deep-fried balls of risotto) were presented as we perused the cocktail list.
I decided not to go for their signature 'Martini' (vodka, served with caviar) as I wanted to stick with a Gin-based 'tini. So chose one which consisted of Tanquery (they were going to use Bombay Sapphire but I talked them out if it ;-) poured through a small strainer containing lapsang tea-leaves and a piece of orange zest. This went into the mixing jug which had previously had a vermouth rinse... stirred, and poured. So simple, yet so elegant. The gin picks up a wonderful colour and flavour (almost smokey) from the tea.
C. chose the house variation on the Cosmo, which was also made beautifully and tasted great.
Talking to the bar staff during the night we asked what the assorted "James Bond" plaques on the bar were in aid of. It turns out there's a "Martini Club" that meets at the bar regularly. The club frown on the use of any vermouth at all in their Martini's, preferring the (mainly vodka I'm guessing) neat.
That's not a Martini. That's a glass of spirit waiting to be mixed with something else.
This was pitched in the guidebooks as one of the most upmarket/hip bars in Rome (Hotel bars in Europe sure could teach those in NZ a thing or two ;-)
We arrived looking what we thought would pass for suitable glam and were welcomed in by the maitre d', shunning the offered table for 2 I asked if we could sit at the bar as I wanted to see the workings of the place.
And we weren't disappointed. Some of the nicest complimentary 'bar snacks' I've ever seen (including what appeared to be deep-fried balls of risotto) were presented as we perused the cocktail list.
I decided not to go for their signature 'Martini' (vodka, served with caviar) as I wanted to stick with a Gin-based 'tini. So chose one which consisted of Tanquery (they were going to use Bombay Sapphire but I talked them out if it ;-) poured through a small strainer containing lapsang tea-leaves and a piece of orange zest. This went into the mixing jug which had previously had a vermouth rinse... stirred, and poured. So simple, yet so elegant. The gin picks up a wonderful colour and flavour (almost smokey) from the tea.
C. chose the house variation on the Cosmo, which was also made beautifully and tasted great.
Talking to the bar staff during the night we asked what the assorted "James Bond" plaques on the bar were in aid of. It turns out there's a "Martini Club" that meets at the bar regularly. The club frown on the use of any vermouth at all in their Martini's, preferring the (mainly vodka I'm guessing) neat.
That's not a Martini. That's a glass of spirit waiting to be mixed with something else.
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Ha ha ha give those fucken Eyeties beans, man.
> That's not a Martini. That's a
> glass of spirit waiting to be
> mixed with something else.
LOL
How did you get them to flag the Bombay Muck'ire and go for the big green Tanq'? "Uhh, we'll let you have Ethiopia back".... ?
> That's not a Martini. That's a
> glass of spirit waiting to be
> mixed with something else.
LOL
How did you get them to flag the Bombay Muck'ire and go for the big green Tanq'? "Uhh, we'll let you have Ethiopia back".... ?
90% of what gets sold as Martinis are not. I'm almost willing to concede the vodka, but in that case it has to have at least some brief contact with the vermouth.
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