It Takes A Thief
¾ oz genever-style gin
¾ oz Dimmi
¾ oz Gran Classico bitters
¾ oz lemon juiceShake and serve up. Garnish with a flamed orange peel
This cocktail was my contribution to an iPhone app with which my good friend Jacob Grier was involved. I used Bols Genever for the gin, which to me occupies an interesting flavor profile that’s halfway between gin and a white-dog style whiskey. It’s less aromatic but more malty, only without the overwhelming heat usually associated with white dogs.
White dogs pair brilliantly with apricot (it’s the winning combination that Evan Zimmerman used in the 2009 GADF, using the House Spirits white dog to make a rendition of a Dolly O'Dare). The Dimmi is an aperitif from Milan that has a big stone fruit flavor, and so rather than white dog and apricot brandy, It Takes A Thief uses genever and Dimmi.
The cocktail’s flavor profile is rounded out with Gran Classico, which I describe as a more interesting and complex rendition of Drambuie. It has the same honey character, but a lot more herbs as well. The lemon juice provides an acid backbone to the drink, while the flamed orange peel reinforces the citrus element.
