At the Petit Ermitage in West Hollywood, inspiration comes all the way from the Italian Riviera.
“I wanted to put together something that could be easily sipped on a sunny sandy beach or sitting down to a big Italian dinner,” bartender Brian Stewart says of his signature cocktail, the Pavone Maschino. “And of course it is refreshing and perfect to fall in place of a mimosa after a long night of eating and drinking.”
And because of its versatility, Stewart adds, “this is a great drink to drink in the winter; it’s something that you can drink all night to keep you warm.”
We’ll take his word for it—after all, he did create the drink so he would enjoy it himself.
“I develop cocktail very much through trail and error,” he says. “Most of the time I will stare at my bar, looking at bottles playing connect the dots in my head. Once I see flavors that will go together the move of the shelf and into the shaker.”
The Pavone Maschino
1.5 oz. Pavan liqueur
1/2 oz. Campari
4 oz. Italian Garnacha
1 basil leaf
.5 oz. orange juice
1 slice Fresno pepper
Sparking water
Place pepper in a shaker and muddle lightly, then add all ingredients except for soda water and wine. (Give the basil a good slap, but do not muddle.) Shake and strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice and add sparkling water and wine. Garnish with fresh seasonal fruit and a straw.
More Drink DuJour:
Cocktails for the Common Cold
The End-of-Evening Concoction
The Red Pepper Daisy
