Feb. 19--I'm an equal-opportunity drinker, but the first time I had the opportunity to drink Cynar -- an artichoke liqueur from Italy -- I decided it was about equal to drinking grass that had been through the washing machine. Blech.
Not that "artichoke liqueur" had been the most appealing phrase to begin with, but hey, what's life without rolling the dice on a bottle of funky sounding alcohol? (To be fair, it doesn't taste like a mouthful of booze-soaked artichokes; the veggie is just one of many ingredients, including about a dozen botanicals. It does taste bitter and herbal and, to then-24-year-old me, unpalatable.)
That was 2009. My bottle sat at the back of my bar, collecting dust next to all the vodka I never use, for a couple of years, until I spotted Cynar in a cocktail at a bar I respect. And I learned: If you know what you're doing with it, it's a pretty great ingredient.
That's the case at La Sirena Clandestina, a lovely bar and restaurant on what I like to call Cocktail Row (a strip also home to The Aviary and The Betty). In the Peruvian Ambassador, bartenders mix Cynar with pisco, cognac, sweet vermouth and demerara sugar. Even with the bite of the cognac, it would be too sweet of a drink if not for our vegetal friend, whose bitter nature adds character and depth. The result is a smooth, balanced cocktail with the kind of edge that helps you sip slowly, and savor -- my favorite sort of drink.
The next time Au Cheval quotes you a three-hour wait, pop over here and say you came for the Cynar.
La Sirena Clandestina, 954 W. Fulton Market, 312-226-5300, www.lasirenachicago.com
