Bottle Buy: Cynar

I am way behind on my bottle buy posts. It used to be such a rare thing when I would buy a new ingredient for my bar, but lately I’ve been doing it pretty frequently – probably far more frequently than I should! There’s just so much great stuff out there. And while some of the best of it is quite pricey – I’m looking at you, Green Chartreuse and Amaro Nonino! – there are a lot of great bottles that are very affordable. One of these is Cynar.

If you’re on a tight budget and can only buy a couple of new things for your bar, I think Cynar should be on your list. Cynar (pronounced “chee-NAHR”) is an amaro flavored with artichoke and 12 other herbs and plants. It’s different from anything else you’ve got in your bar, it’s extremely versatile, and it’s very cheap – around $20 for a one liter bottle. That’s my kind of booze.

Cynar was created in 1952 by a Venetian named Angelo Dalle Molle. He sounds like pretty interesting guy. He’s described as a philanthropist and entrepreneur who believed that technology would lead to a utopian world. Later in life, he invested heavily in research on artificial intelligence, setting up four research institutes in Switzerland. He died in 2001, over 90 years old.

Cynar is named after the genus of the artichoke, Cynar scolymus. It gained rapid popularity after it was introduced through a marketing campaign featuring Italian actor Ernesto Calindri with the slogan “Contro il logorio della vita moderna” or “Against the stress of modern life.” In one TV spot, he was pictured sipping Cynar in the middle of traffic in Milan:

If an artichoke-flavored liquor doesn’t sound up your alley, I encourage you to try a Cynar cocktail before you write it off. It doesn’t really taste like artichoke. If anything, it tastes a bit like Campari, though sweeter and more vegetal. Like most amari, it’s quite nice on its own as a digestif. But I also find it particularly versatile in cocktails.

Cynar

Price: $20 for 1 liter
Alcohol Content: 16.5%
Popular Cocktails: Presbyterian Revenge, Cynar Sour, Cynar & Soda, Little Italy

It seems like everybody likes to drink Cynar differently: straight as a digestif, on the rocks with soda or tonic, up with aged rum or tequila, with orange juice, a dash in a martini or Manhattan, or swapped out for another amaro in a favorite cocktail recipe. It’s a liquor that’s really fun to play around with.

While there are a ton of recipes out there that call for Cynar, few seem to be as widely known as the Presbyterian Revenge. It’s a riff on a classic Scotch cocktail called the Presbyterian (Scotch, ginger ale, and club soda, so named because Scotland is largely Presbyterian). It’s a good intro to a very vegetal and bitter spirit, as it’s extremely drinkable while still showcasing Cynar’s unique flavor. Refreshing and bitter, it makes a great summer cocktail, especially for Scotch lovers. It makes me think of a boozier, more bitter, whiskey-fied Aperol Spritz.

When you’re making yours, don’t skip the grapefruit twist! It really contributes a lot of flavor to the cocktail. If you don’t have fresh grapefruit, try adding a dash of grapefruit bitters instead.

History: The Presbyterian Revenge was created by John McCarthy of Highlands in New York City. Here’s a video of him making the cocktail.

Presbyterian Revenge

1 1/2 oz. blended Scotch (Black Grouse recommended)
3/4 oz. Cynar
1/4 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. simple syrup
Splash of club soda

Combine Scotch, Cynar, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with club soda and garnish with a grapefruit twist (I used a “nest” of grapefruit peel). Stir gently before sipping. Full disclosure: the cocktail pictured is a recipe and a half.

Recipe from Serious Eats.