Three Ways with Cynar

To me, summer in Buenos Aires tastes like Cynar. As the year wraps up and temperatures soar, the weekend asados and mid-week nights out step up a couple of notches in scale and ferocity. And the drinks become more colorful – the dark, foamy, ever-present Fernet and coke or deep purple Malbec are joined by their incandescent summer companion, Campari and orange. Make no mistake; the newest addition to the lineup, Cynar is quickly making plenty of friends and influencing all comers.

Cynar is one of the newest additions to the extensive lineup of Italian bitters; invented in the 50s, it has quickly grown in popularity thanks to its relatively low alcohol level (16.5%) and a unique flavor profile big on astringent herbs with a lingering sweetness. It makes for a great digestif but, more importantly, it has been finding its way into bars the world over as a key ingredient to some seriously tasty drinks.

Bartenders in Buenos Aires, as in many US cities, love Cynar for a number of reasons: its price – decidedly easy on the pocket — its dry-bitter-sweet flavors that add plenty of interest to the drink, and of course, the big green artichoke on the label, which makes for a great talking point. Artichoke is one of thirteen botanical ingredients, and supposedly it is one of this spiky vegetable’s active ingredients, cynarin, that muddles with your taste receptors and elevates the impression of sweetness in the mouth. The cocktail maker’s mind boggles, and grins; this is a spirit both serious and playful, a great companion in the bar.

Straight up, its good with soda or orange juice, like big brother Campari, but the love story truly begins with a Cynar Julep, the flagship Cynar drink in Buenos Aires. A perfect mix of grapefruit juice, Cynar and mint, Martin Bruno, sommelier and bartender at Hernán Gipponi, the in-house restaurant at boutique hotel Fierro in Palermo, shares his recipes for the Cynar Julep and two other favorites.

Cynar Julep

• 12 mint leaves
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
• 1 dash lemon juice
• 2 ounces Cynar
• grapefruit Juice
• soda
• mint sprig, for garnish

Get the full recipe.

Little Italy

• 1 ounce bourbon
• 1 ounce Cynar
• 1 ounce Vermouth Rosso
• 1 dash orange bitters
• 1 piece orange peel
• orange twist, cherries, for garnish

Get the full recipe.

Cynar No. 1

• 1 ounce lemon juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 1 spring mint
• 1 slice cucumber
• 1 slice orange
• 1 slice lime
• 1 slice lemon
• 4 blueberries
• 2 strawberries, sliced
• 2 ounces Cynar
• mixers (soda, ginger ale, tonic)

Get the full recipe.