One nice thing about wintertime is that citrus is pretty cheap. While I can't compete with the lucky-dog co-authors of this site that have lemon trees in their backyard (and they know who they are), lemons at my local grocery store are currently running about 15-20 cents each, and good juice oranges can seemingly be had for the asking.
And of course, this state of affairs is ultimately pleasing to the cocktail-head, as tons of cocktails make use of citrus in its varied forms. The plump oranges I just picked up inspired me to go in a direction I don't usually go, and led me to the Bronx (or at least its eponymous cocktail.)
The Bronx was a child of Manhattan, actually: invented at the Waldorf-Astoria (the old location, where the Empire State Building is now) by ace bartender Johnnie Solan, who lived in the Bronx and came up with the drink's name a couple days after a visit to the Bronx Zoo. A Perfect Martini — i.e., a Martini with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth — with the addition of orange juice, the Bronx is "clean, simple, and very, very refreshing." I agree with Wondrich, though, and think I'd like it better if it were a little less Arctic and a little more sweltering outside. Bronx, we'll meet again in June.
The Bronx Cocktail
- 2 oz. gin
- 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
- 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
- dash orange bitters
- 1 oz. orange juice
Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of orange peel.
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