This recipe was first published as part of our trend feature on Umami Cocktails.
By Matt Whiley, Peg & Patriot bar in the Town Hall Hotel, London
This umami-bomb gets its hit from both the mushroom and cheese. It requires a lot of equipment and preparation, but is then a quick (and inimitable) serve at the bar.
10ml Girolle mushroom cognac*
30ml Gruyere and brie distillate**
10ml VS cognac
5ml Vermouth sugar***
2ml Cocchi Americano
1ds Angostura bitters
1/2ds Walnut bitters
Stir all ingredients with ice, then strain over block ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a cube of gruyere cheese.
* Infuse cognac with girolle mushrooms for 24 hours, then strain.
**Infuse neutral spirit with gruyere and brie for 2 hours. Then strain and rotovap distil at 50C.
***The syrup left over from distilling Peg & Patriot’s housemade Cocchi di Torino.
