Cocktailers ~
A drink I created for Gotham City Cocktails has been getting a lot of attention recently, and I thought I would share it with you (plus, I forgot to include a recipe in Wednesday’s monthly newsletter).
This is a mix I made for one of my favorite Batman characters, Carmine “The Roman” Falcone. Head of the Falcone crime family, created by Frank Miller in 1987. Most fans will know him as the character so wonderfully portrayed by actor Tom Wilkinson in the 2005 film Batman Begins.
Now, according to lore, Gotham City is a city south of New York on the coast. As I sifted through eighty years of comics for this project, this mythical city started to sound an awful lot like Philadelphia — where I was living.
During my time in Philly, one of my pastimes was snooping into local mob lore. I could tell you where Angelo Bruno’s old house was. I could tell you where Frank Palumbo once had his restaurant (now a Rite Aid convenience store). I could tell you, because I lived in South Philly, where to mob still went out to dinner. Tuesday nights, valet parking, lots of flash.
Astute imbibers will recognize this cocktail as some kind of wild Americano — a cousin to the Negroni which includes Campari and vermouth but not gin. In Italy, I’d say it’s more common than Negronis among the older bar folks — Negronis are simply too much (throw up your hands) for gentle aperitivo hour.
There were some Americanos — based on an even older drink called the Milano-Torino — in South Philly too. And olives. In fact, if you were of a certain age in a certain kind of bar and ordering, say, a Manhattan, that Manhattan came with olives. Ah ha, savory. Now we’re in Italy. No finer companion to bresaola.
As we all know, character is revealed in literature and film through memorable attributes. Think of Violet Beauregarde’s chewing gum. I needed something not only neighborhoody for the ultimate crime boss, but also something that indicated a little signature tick: enter balsamic vinegar. Conveniently, bottles of it make an appearance on South Philly bars because bartenders need it around for customers’ bread and salads.
Balsamic vinegar works amazingly well because it brings acid to the drink. I played around with variations of this cocktail paired with cold cuts from DiBruno Bros. or Claudio’s (hardship!) for a while until it was perfect.
You want a South Philly/Gotham City power drink to start off or finish your evening? You want to run numbers, fix boxing matches, sing Sinatra, and make some folks sleep with the fishes? You want to wash down that luscious mortadella draped over crusty Sarcone’s bread? Then The Roman is your drink. It helps that it is ridiculously delicious.
1 ounce Campari
1 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/2 ounce Averna (another similar amaro will work here)
1 barspoon balsamic vinegar
1 splash club soda
2 olives
Stir the Campari, vermouth, Averna, and balsamic Vinegar with ice, and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with the club soda, and garnish with the olives.
From Gotham City Cocktails, Insight Editions for DC Comics and Warner Brothers, 2021