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Dry Curacao
Who
Based on a 19th century recipe, it is a traditional French Orange Curaçao made from the peels of Curaçao oranges and spices, blended with brandy and Pierre Ferrand Cognac.
Why
Curaçao is one of the oldest and most traditional liqueurs. Pierre Ferrand has created a new take on the classic spirit, replacing the current available crop of sickly sweet renditions.
Recommended By
- Bartender Mike Ryan (Sable Kitchen & Bar in Chicago, IL)
Pierre Ferrand’s Dry Curaçao Ancienne Methode
February 23, 2012
Pierre Ferrand Cognac
Cocktail images by Daniel Krieger | Curacao oranges image courtesy of Norton Simon Foundation [Painting by Louise Moillon, 1634]
Q & A with Alexandre Gabriel, President of Pierre Ferrand
Drink | Dry Curacao Ancienne Methode
Bitter Oranges
The Dry Curaçao Ancienne Méthode is made with curacao oranges from the Caribbean, which are bitter oranges. The fruit is totally uninteresting, but the skin isn’t.
The Way It Began
David Wondrich, the cocktail historian, came to me at one point and said, ‘I need something like an orange curacao, because there is no more real curacao. Now it’s either orange, it’s blue, it’s over-sweet, it’s made with grain basic neutral spirit, NGS and we don’t have the real thing.’ In the old days, the orange curacao was bitter orange. This got me thinking that I should use one of the 50 recipes of curacao I have from the 19th century.
The Savoy Cocktail Book
In the original Savoy cocktail book from the 1930s, one drink out of three calls for curacao. But it’s not available anymore. If you go to a store and ask for a curacao, you’ll get the orange sticky stuff. Curaçao can be a cheap, plastic, nasty liqueur or it can be heaven in a bottle. It all depends on the ingredients and the production method. Since there wasn’t a good one on the market, Dale DeGroff was saying that you blend fifty percent Grand Marnier, fifty percent Cointreau and pray for the best! Just more on the sweeter orange and not the bitter orange.
Production
Aging
We put it back into a cask, the same casks that we use for cognac, and we use the orange peels again. We have some practice in cask aging, Cognac has been doing it for 500 years. Cask aging is kind of the trickiest part for spirit making. Distilling is quite straightforward and the aging is more technical. We age the curacao for one year.
What Dry Means
The “Dry” in the name refers to the use of bitter oranges rather than sweet oranges. You can taste the balance and it registers well.
Cocktails
It works well with cognac, so it makes an incredible Sidecar cocktail, an authentic Margarita, or anything that you want that has orange, because it cuts through the aromas. It’s also delicious in coffee.
Availability
Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao Ancienne Méthode will be available nationwide in March (2012) and retail for approximately $30. [find it]
Recommendations
Drink | Bars In The United States
The Dalgren at Death & Co. | Blackbird
Photo Credit: arvindgrover [flickr] | Photograph courtesy of Blackbid
Boston | Drink
Bar Manager John Gertsen is really talented. He’s the Stanley Kubrick of cocktail making.
Chicago | Blackbird
Mixologist Lynn House comes from a food background and she is an artist. She does very creative takes on cocktails.
New York | Death & Co.
Joaquin Simo is really good.
[See details.]
Eat | Cognac, France
Le Bistro De Claude | Food at L’Yeuse
Photographs courtesy of Le Bistro De Claude | L’Yeuse
La Courtine
If you want something that is more brasserie style, La Courtine is right on the Charente River bank. It’s more straightforward brasserie style, but it’s wonderful, and Yves is the owner. Start with the escargot, called petits gris. They’re little grey snails that grow on the cognac vineyard. It’s good to order something that is duck-based. For dessert, you want to get the Café Gourmand - it’s coffee with a little sampler of local desserts, like Crème Brûlée and other different things.
Le Bistro De Claude
It’s really high quality food in a typical setting of Cognac, a little medieval house. It’s wonderful for fish and great oysters from La Rochelle. Look for Claude or William, really nice men.
L’Yeuse
For something more gastronomic, but still have a very good time. It’s not stuffy. Maria is the person to see here. If you go there, ask for the menu that is cognac pairing. They’ll do a great job with their food and cognac pairings.
[See details.]
Eat | Bassac, France
L’Essile
A very talented young chef -- it’s a bit gastronomic. I really like it.
[See details.]
Drink | Paris, France
Candelaria | Gin Bar | Curio Parlor
Photographs courtesy of Candelaria | Gin Bar | Curio Parlor
Candelaria
Carina is the bartender. It’s s a little place, speakeasy style and she is very talented. She worked at the Cocktail Experiment in London.
Curio Parlor
Arthur is the bartender. It’s a great bar. Same owners as the Experimental Cocktail Club, large whiskey list.
Experimental Cocktail Club
Mika is head of the bar.
La Conseverie
Photo Credit: Neil Mersh
La Conserverie
Joseph Akhavan is the bartender.
Le Bar A Gin
Axel Ginepro is the chief bartender. Classic cocktail bar with a courtyard. Walking distance to the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.
L'Entrée Des Artistes
Fabien Lombardi & Edouard Vermynck are the bartenders.
Bar Le 29
Off the beaten track cocktail bar.
L’Hôtel
Carlos Madriz is the barman. Madriz is an award-winning bartender who makes his own twists on the classics.
Grazie
Oscar is the barman.
Prescription Cocktail Club
Caroline is the bartender. From the owners of Experimental Cocktail Club and Curio Parlor.
Un Dimanche À Paris
Mikael Katane is the barman at this chocolate boutique.
[See details.]
Drink | Madrid, Spain
El Padre
Since it’s in a restaurant, you may wonder why you’re there. It’s for this incredible gin and tonic menu. They have a dessert trolley with lots of gins and they have many tonics, including ones they make themselves. The restaurant is run by the father, who is a short, chubby guy, like a drill sergeant, and he has two tall skinny sons. They have a farm outside of Madrid and it’s all the farm products. Most of the herbs are from their own farm. You start with a tomato on your plate with just olive oil, put them in your mouth and they melt like an ice cube. They also make their own oil. The place has glass windows and it’s just a lot of fun.
[See details.]
Cocktail Recipes
- Mai Tai
Recommendations
Details of Alexandre Gabriel’s recommendations on where to eat and drink in Boston, Chicago, New York, Cognac, Bassac, Paris and Madrid.
City Guides
- New York City | Manhattan: Download
- Paris: Download
- Madrid: Download
