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The Aficionado is a simple yet sophisticated gin and dry vermouth cocktail. Originally developed for Cinzano Extra Dry — make it with your favorite bottles.
Why we love this recipe
I went to college in the land of F. Scott Fitzgerald, and my drinking sensibility starts there. A dirty martini with three big olives has always been one of my top three classic cocktails, and so a good dry vermouth has been in my life for at least as long as it’s been legally allowed.
The Aficionado takes two of the dirty martini’s ingredients in a totally different —yet similarly dreamy — direction. Gin and dry vermouth both have beautifully herbal, slightly astringent qualities, making them a perfect match for the thyme and lemon in this cocktail.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.
- You’ll start with a good London dry gin. My favorites include Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks, Tanqueray, Drumshanbo, Plymouth, The Botanist, and Aviation. How’s that for a wide selection?
- I originally developed this recipe for Cinzano Extra Dry, but you can use any dry vermouth that you like. These days I tend to keep Dolin on hand for its balance of quality and affordability.
- I like to use a run-of-the-mill mild-tasting honey from the supermarket. You can use whatever kind you like.
- One nice, juicy lemon should yield just about the right amount of juice and garnish for this drink.
- A sprig of fresh thyme adds a mild complexity to this cocktail’s cozy vibe.
What is Vermouth?
Vermouth is a fortified and aromatized wine. Fortified means that a neutral, distilled grape spirit has been added to the wine to increase its alcohol content. Aromatized means the recipe includes herbs and spices. And you know what wine means. 🙂
Vermouth comes in several varieties, including:
- Rosso/Sweet/Vermouth di Torino: A sweet vermouth that gets its amber color from a rich infusion of herbs and spices and is iconic in Manhattans, Negronis, and more
- Dry/Extra Dry: A delicately flavored, nearly clear vermouth found in dry cocktails like Martinis
- Bianco: A sweet white vermouth with a bigger flavor that’s common to drink either alone as an apéritif or in cocktails
What’s an Aficionado?
An aficionado is someone very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime. The dictionary stops there, but I think of an aficionado as quite enjoying being an aficionado, too.
That’s kind of a fun combination of ways of being — and one that seems right at home in the worlds of both classic and modern cocktails — so I went right ahead and named a drink after it. The Aficionado is great at any time of year, right now being no exception. So says one in the know.
How to make it
Here’s an overview of what you’ll do to make a great Aficionado cocktail. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post, and get all the details in the recipe card below.
- First you’ll char the lemon and briefly heat the thyme.
- Strain the lemon juice into a bowl and stir in the honey.
- Fill a shaker with ice and add the lemon mixture, gin, and vermouth. Shake well.
- Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with charred lemon slice and thyme sprig. That’s it!
Expert tips and FAQs
For a vegan drink, swap in agave, simple syrup, or maple syrup for the honey. And for both requirements, be sure to check that your particular bottle of vermouth is certified vegan and GF. They often are, but some brands aren’t.
Sure. This drink would also be great with a Meyer lemon swapped in for the regular lemon, and rosemary would make an equally lovely swap for the thyme.
You can. For eight drinks: Up to two hours before serving time, slice, char, and juice eight lemons according to the instructions in the recipe card below. Stir ½ cup honey into the lemon juice until dissolved. In a pitcher, combine two cups gin, one cup vermouth, the lemon juice mixture, and ½ cup cold water. Place in the fridge to chill. At serving time, pour into ice-filled rocks glasses and garnish each glass with a charred lemon slice and thyme sprig.
More favorite gin and dry vermouth cocktails
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The Aficionado Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 large, juicy lemon
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) mild honey
- 2 ounces (60 ml) good gin
- 1 ounce (30 ml) dry vermouth
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes until very hot.
- Cut the lemon in half and then cut a 1/4-inch-thick round slice from one half.
- Place the lemon halves and the slice into the pan cut sides down and cook for about three to four minutes, until nicely charred.
- Remove lemon from pan and add thyme sprig. Cook for about a minute, until fragrant, then set aside to cool.
- Squeeze juice from lemon halves through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl.
- Measure out 1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) juice, reserving any extra for another use.
- Stir honey into lemon juice until dissolved.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Pour in lemon juice mixture, gin, and vermouth and shake well.
- Place a few ice cubes into a single old fashioned glass and strain drink into glass.
- Garnish with charred lemon slice and thyme sprig. (Bruise the thyme with your fingers a bit so its flavors will infuse into the drink.)
Notes
- Start with a good London dry gin. My favorites include Bombay Sapphire, Hendricks, Tanqueray, Drumshanbo, Plymouth, The Botanist, and Aviation. How's that for a wide selection?
- I originally developed this recipe for Cinzano Extra Dry, but you can use any dry vermouth that you like. These days I tend to keep Dolin on hand for its balance of quality and affordability.
- I like to use a run-of-the-mill mild-tasting honey from the supermarket. You can use whatever kind you like.
- You can batch The Aficionado for a party if you like. For eight drinks: Up to two hours before serving time, slice, char, and juice eight lemons according to the instructions in the recipe card below. Stir ½ cup honey into the lemon juice until dissolved. In a pitcher, combine two cups gin, one cup vermouth, the lemon juice mixture, and ½ cup cold water. Place in the fridge to chill. At serving time, pour into ice-filled rocks glasses and garnish each glass with a charred lemon slice and thyme sprig.
- This drink would also be great with a Meyer lemon swapped in for the regular lemon, and rosemary would make an equally lovely swap for the thyme.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Just made it. Great drink. The cooked lemon adds a great flavor. Thanks
Thank you so much!