Ongoing cocktail experimentation:
1. Lillet makes a much sweeter Martini. I’m OK with that… sometimes. My Martini-loving friends are not. If Martinis are not sweet dammit then better stick with vermouth.
Test case: 6 Botanist/1 white Lillet. This drink also convinced me that the Vesper, James Bond’s contribution to Martini mixology, would not at all be my sort of drink: cheap gin diluted with vodka, plus Lillet. On the other hand it’s of professional interest to me, as a product that was first popularized on transatlantic liners. AIUI the “Kina” bit was dropped in the 70s, without changing the drink.
2. Negroni variant I actually like:
2 gin (Botanist)
1 Carpano
1 Amaro Nonino
orange twist
swapping cognac for the gin makes a sweeter, smokier drink, which I’m just going to add to the stable of smoky amaro-based Manhattan/1794 variants. I don’t have names for any of these, and the cocktail problem space is so well explored that I’m pretty sure they already all have names anyway, it’s merely tiresome to look them up.
#illadvisedcocktails
Tattered Remains of Tartary 
So apropos of sweet but tasty gin drinks, last night I had a Hendricks + St-Germain + muddled English cucumber. Very clean and refreshing, though as I said a bit sweet. I’ll definitely be having it again though.
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I only have beefeaters, bellini extra dry, amaretto di Saronno and angostura. advices?
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I’ve never tried the Bellino but I hear it’s… unique.
2 gin
amaretto… something like a fifth of a measure
dash of bitters
shake over ice. Garnish with a twist of orange.
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Amaro Nonino is on my list of things to pick up. I’ve seen it in bars, but I guess it’s a special order item through the state liquor establishment. Still waiting for Rittenhouse to show up too.
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nonino is top notch stuff
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I just realized that apparently the answer to “How do you like LILLET?” is “Female and on her back.” Oh, those old ads are so charmingly sexist.
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