Being open to new experiences allows for delightful surprises that could broaden your taste horizons, and sometimes, if you own your restaurant, add a new favorite to your menu.
“We went out with one of our friends, and one of them ordered this drink [called The Fitzgerald],” says Chef Aless, who’s the co-owner of the French restaurant Brasserie by Chef Aless, in Massapequa. According to Alessanda MacCarthy (Chef Aless), the bartender was unfamiliar with the drink now known as Le Fitzgerald at Chef Aless’ restaurant, so her friend gave the bartender the recipe, they all tried the drink, and she knew she had to add it to Brasserie’s menu.
Served in an old-fashioned glass and garnished with a couple of cherries and a flower petal, the cocktail includes only three ingredients: gin, bitters, and lemon juice.
“People love it,” she says. “Even those that don’t usually enjoy gin. The bitters take it to a new level.”
What makes the cocktail different from any of the other cocktails on her menu, according to Chef Aless, is that it’s a nod to F. Scott Fitzgerald, the writer; he spent a portion of his career in France.
“Though we have two gin-based cocktails, the fact that Scott Fitzgerald spent the second half of his life in France and really loved it there made the drink the perfect fit,” she says.
“The Fitzgerald is light, refreshing, and elegant,” she says. “It’s simple to make yet beautiful to drink. The citrus really stands out, making it a fantastic drink for spring and summer.”
Brasserie by Chef Aless is located at 5590 Merrick Rd., Massapequa, and can be reached at brasseriebychefaless.com and 585-486-2305.
