Although Gozo’s clue for 15 across in Polymath #1,332 strictly follows the cocktail’s International Bartenders Association specs and would be well
at home in Harry Craddock’s Savoy, many modern and historical bar
books, including The Cocktail Edit by the FT’s own Alice Lascelles, also recommend a dash of orange bitters in the cocktail (in a Martini). This not only adds a pleasant citrusy aromatic note above and beyond the expressed lemon twist, but it also enhances elements in both the gin and the vermouth.
Purists might quibble with this addition, but, as Alice says in her book, making one “is less like composing a vaccine and more like cutting a diamond — each tiny decision you take makes it sparkle in a different way”.
Cheers!
Patrick Greenfield
Oakland, CA, US
