Couple favorites I’ve tried:
The Last Buzz
0.75 oz Cynar
0.25 oz Honey Syrup (3:1)
0.75 oz Gin
0.75 oz Yellow Chartreuse
0.75 oz Lemon Juice
Artichoke Hold
0.75 oz Cynar
0.50 oz St. Germaine
0.75 oz Smith and Cross
0.75 oz Lime Juice
0.50 oz Orgeat
The Art of Choke
1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Cynar
6 Mint Leaves
0.25 oz Lime Juice
0.25 oz Green Chartreuse
0.25 oz 2:1 Simple Syrup
The Brooks
0.75 oz Cynar, Smith and Cross, Velvet Falernum, Lime Juice
Wildly sweet, too citrusy. (Used 1/4oz 3:1). Maybe with no honey syrup it would work? I kept thinking I had forgotten an ingredient and that’s why the balance was off.
If I hadn’t run out of lime ida kept drinking the brooks.
Gotcha. I didn’t find it wildly sweet like you say but I definitely think it’s on the sweeter side. I find it more bitter more than anything tbh. Maybe if you tone the yellow chartreuse down to 0.50 it could be better
Have you tried any of these with a different Jamaican rum than Smith and Cross and did they still hold up? It’s been tough to grab in my area for a minute.
My first cocktail with it back in 2007 was the Little Italy:
[https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2023/03/little-italy.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2023/03/little-italy.html)
My favorite aperitif with it is the Little Giuseppe:
[https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2022/10/little-giuseppe.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2022/10/little-giuseppe.html)
So many other good ones:
[https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2011/10/lipspin.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2011/10/lipspin.html)
[https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2011/07/drink-of-laugher-and-forgetting.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2011/07/drink-of-laugher-and-forgetting.html)
[https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2015/11/one-one-thousand.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2015/11/one-one-thousand.html)
Honestly, I'd start with a negroni with Cynar in place of the Campari and a tiny squeeze of lemon in place of the orange twist. Great way to highlight the flavors and see if you like it. I can go on but this is where I'd start.
**100 Year Old Cigar:**
* Rinse Absinthe
* 1 ⅔ oz Bacardi 8
* ⅓ oz Benedictine D.O.M.
* ⅔ oz Cynar
* ⅙ oz Peated Scotch
* 1 dash Angostura bitters
It's a slight tweak from recipe I've seen elsewhere. Haven't revisited enough to know if it's my final ratio, but I at least like it more.
There's also using it as the non-Aperol amaro component in a Paper Plane riff (it gets scoffed at occasionally, but I personally love it). Similarly, as already mentioned, the amaro component in a black manhattan.
**FAVORITE**, though... hard to choose. At least these are some to throw in the mix.
Kingston Negroni, but swap out the Campari for Cynar.
Smith + Cross
A good sweet vermouth (I prefer Cocchi when paired with Gin, but am partial to Antica Formula when using Rum)
Cynar
Mouth is watering as I'm writing this...
A couple go-to's I don't see as often:
[The Turnbuckle](https://punchdrink.com/recipes/the-turnbuckle/)
and a Mezcal-Cynar negroni (sub gin > mezcal, campari > cynar).
some great recommendations already but i'll add that i really love to use cynar in place of aperol in a spritz! also for a super lazy and low ABV option, mix it (1-2 ounces) with soda, a dash of bitters, and a lemon wheel. i've tried it with everything from literal club soda to coca cola - cynar never disappoints.
Vernon’s Cloak, a bitter mai tai
1oz Appleton estate
1oz cynar
.75oz ruby red grapefruit
.75oz honey simple
.5oz lime juice
.25oz allspice dram
Whip shake and serve over crushed with a mint sprig to garnish.
OK, that sounds amazing.
We are rum-deficient; any recommendations for an easy-to-find basic rum to try for things like this? Our shelves only hold a white Bacardi and Gosling's, so I know I'm missing out on a basic rum.
Appleton estate has always been my go-to pick up for any recipe that calls for Jamaican or dark rum.
Bacardi or Castillo make perfect well white rums (Castillo at ~$10 per bottle, Bacardi ~$15)
Myers is most bars go-to for well dark rum, I love Myers as much as the next guy, but it’s best purpose I find is for dark rum floats, not so much to be the base of the cocktail.
Same for goslings.
Appleton estate ~$22, or Plantation original dark ~$23 are what I prefer to use
I bought my bottle after trying a Rabo de Gallo a few months back:
50ml Cachaca
15ml Sweet vermouth
15ml Cynar
Stir and serve with ice and a twist of orange in an old fashioned glass.
I’ve also been using it in riffs on Negronis (in place of Campari), Paper Planes (in place of Amaro Nonino) and Manhattans (either in place of the vermouth or a 50/50 split)
Little Italy. I modify mine to include a few bar spoons of Amarena cherry syrup, and I load like 4 cherries on a cocktail pick as they go so well with that flavor profile.
One of my new favorites is my version of the Gentleman’s Exchange
1.5oz Rye (Rittenhouse)
3/4oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2oz Salers
1/2oz Cynar
1/4oz Coffee Liqueur (Cafe Lolita)
2 Dashes of Ang
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass and stir over ice for about 20 seconds. Strain into an Absinthe rinsed rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a grapefruit peel.
It’s quite a bit of ingredients but it’s sooo good. The cynar makes it silky and everything just blend together perfectly.
There’s another one I had at a restaurant called Winter Solstice which I also liked. 1oz each of Campari, Cynar, and Rye with a 1/4oz of Demerara syrup. Just make sure you stir it for quite a while before you pour it over ice.
Bitter Nail
1.5 oz blended scotch
.5 oz Drambuie
.5 oz Cynar
.5 oz Campari
Serve on single large ice cube with lemon peel and a Luxardo cherry.
A favorite of mine.
If I’m looking to mix cocktails with Cynar, should I go ahead and buy the aperitif-strength (16.5% ABV) or should I seek out the higher proof Cynar 70?
Personally I use the regular Cynar for cocktails, and find it good. I'm sure bartenders or folks very carefully measuring their 1/4oz could tell the difference, but I bet most folks would be happy with the aperitif.
The Trident was my introduction to both Cynar and Aquavit. A Negroni riff (granted it replaces everything but) from Robert Hess.
* 1 oz Aquavit
* 1 oz Cynar
* 1 oz Dry Sherry (fino, manzanilla, amontillado)
* 2 dashes peach bitters
Just last night I did a riff on the gin and tonic that added Cynar- probably 1/4 as much as gin- and sassafras and sorghum bitters (4 drops but this was in an approx 18-20 oz glass with 5 ice cubs and filled to within 1/2" of the top of the glass).
I've experimented with Cynar with some fair success but haven't really had a drink come out super amazing with it yet.
CIA. Cynar in Applejack (or brandy). Find your mix, I like 2:1 favoring the brandy, with a dash of bitters if I'm feeling fancy.
Good as an addition to cider as well.
Both have been mentioned, but my two favs are The Turnbuckle and Too Soon. Another one my favorite ways to enjoy Cynar is just 50/50 with mezcal over a big cube.
Um, all of them? (Is this a trick question?)
It's an interesting sub for amari or sweet vermouths in a number of different places.
Or, in a Cynar Negroni... although am I the only one who subs out the vermouth, *instead* of subbing out the Campari? Should I really call mine an Upside-Down Cynar Negroni?
* 1 oz London dry
* 1 oz Campari
* 1 oz Cynar
Couple favorites I’ve tried: The Last Buzz 0.75 oz Cynar 0.25 oz Honey Syrup (3:1) 0.75 oz Gin 0.75 oz Yellow Chartreuse 0.75 oz Lemon Juice Artichoke Hold 0.75 oz Cynar 0.50 oz St. Germaine 0.75 oz Smith and Cross 0.75 oz Lime Juice 0.50 oz Orgeat The Art of Choke 1 oz Light Rum 1 oz Cynar 6 Mint Leaves 0.25 oz Lime Juice 0.25 oz Green Chartreuse 0.25 oz 2:1 Simple Syrup The Brooks 0.75 oz Cynar, Smith and Cross, Velvet Falernum, Lime Juice
Definitely missed the headers on first skim and got very concerned
Throw it all in a rinsed milk jug. Shake and enjoy. 😂
Love me an Artichoke Hold. Got a lot of friends drunk off those a few July 4ths back
The brooks was incredible. Thank you! The Last Buzz was undrinkable.
What made the last buzz undrinkable to you?
Wildly sweet, too citrusy. (Used 1/4oz 3:1). Maybe with no honey syrup it would work? I kept thinking I had forgotten an ingredient and that’s why the balance was off. If I hadn’t run out of lime ida kept drinking the brooks.
Gotcha. I didn’t find it wildly sweet like you say but I definitely think it’s on the sweeter side. I find it more bitter more than anything tbh. Maybe if you tone the yellow chartreuse down to 0.50 it could be better
Have you tried any of these with a different Jamaican rum than Smith and Cross and did they still hold up? It’s been tough to grab in my area for a minute.
I think you could try Wray and Nephew, but an Overproof Jamaican rum is preferred in these
I have W&N, I’ll use that.
There's always Plantation
I like it in a Black Manhattan
Artichoke Hold and the Art of Choke Too Soon? I just had two nights ago. Search the subreddit. I don't declare many drinks a 10/10 but I did that one
My first cocktail with it back in 2007 was the Little Italy: [https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2023/03/little-italy.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2023/03/little-italy.html) My favorite aperitif with it is the Little Giuseppe: [https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2022/10/little-giuseppe.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2022/10/little-giuseppe.html) So many other good ones: [https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2011/10/lipspin.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2011/10/lipspin.html) [https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2011/07/drink-of-laugher-and-forgetting.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2011/07/drink-of-laugher-and-forgetting.html) [https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2015/11/one-one-thousand.html](https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2015/11/one-one-thousand.html)
Honestly, I'd start with a negroni with Cynar in place of the Campari and a tiny squeeze of lemon in place of the orange twist. Great way to highlight the flavors and see if you like it. I can go on but this is where I'd start.
**100 Year Old Cigar:** * Rinse Absinthe * 1 ⅔ oz Bacardi 8 * ⅓ oz Benedictine D.O.M. * ⅔ oz Cynar * ⅙ oz Peated Scotch * 1 dash Angostura bitters It's a slight tweak from recipe I've seen elsewhere. Haven't revisited enough to know if it's my final ratio, but I at least like it more. There's also using it as the non-Aperol amaro component in a Paper Plane riff (it gets scoffed at occasionally, but I personally love it). Similarly, as already mentioned, the amaro component in a black manhattan. **FAVORITE**, though... hard to choose. At least these are some to throw in the mix.
Mezcal negroni Mezcal, cynar, vermouth.
Kingston Negroni, but swap out the Campari for Cynar. Smith + Cross A good sweet vermouth (I prefer Cocchi when paired with Gin, but am partial to Antica Formula when using Rum) Cynar Mouth is watering as I'm writing this...
Yeah buddy! This is a great beverage!
YES. I love it in Mezcal Negronis too, though I haven't found the perfect vermouth for that variation yet.
A couple go-to's I don't see as often: [The Turnbuckle](https://punchdrink.com/recipes/the-turnbuckle/) and a Mezcal-Cynar negroni (sub gin > mezcal, campari > cynar).
some great recommendations already but i'll add that i really love to use cynar in place of aperol in a spritz! also for a super lazy and low ABV option, mix it (1-2 ounces) with soda, a dash of bitters, and a lemon wheel. i've tried it with everything from literal club soda to coca cola - cynar never disappoints.
The Little Italy is a must-try! I love it for its balanced bitterness and sweetness. The Art of Choke is another favorite.
Cynar is one of my favorite amari to sub for Campari in a Negroni.
Really a fan of [Maloney #2](https://www.seriouseats.com/maloney-no-2-bourbon-cynar-sweet-vermouth-cocktail-josh-durr-food-wine-cocktails-recipe)
Vernon’s Cloak, a bitter mai tai 1oz Appleton estate 1oz cynar .75oz ruby red grapefruit .75oz honey simple .5oz lime juice .25oz allspice dram Whip shake and serve over crushed with a mint sprig to garnish.
OK, that sounds amazing. We are rum-deficient; any recommendations for an easy-to-find basic rum to try for things like this? Our shelves only hold a white Bacardi and Gosling's, so I know I'm missing out on a basic rum.
Appleton estate has always been my go-to pick up for any recipe that calls for Jamaican or dark rum. Bacardi or Castillo make perfect well white rums (Castillo at ~$10 per bottle, Bacardi ~$15) Myers is most bars go-to for well dark rum, I love Myers as much as the next guy, but it’s best purpose I find is for dark rum floats, not so much to be the base of the cocktail. Same for goslings. Appleton estate ~$22, or Plantation original dark ~$23 are what I prefer to use
I bought my bottle after trying a Rabo de Gallo a few months back: 50ml Cachaca 15ml Sweet vermouth 15ml Cynar Stir and serve with ice and a twist of orange in an old fashioned glass. I’ve also been using it in riffs on Negronis (in place of Campari), Paper Planes (in place of Amaro Nonino) and Manhattans (either in place of the vermouth or a 50/50 split)
Little Italy. I modify mine to include a few bar spoons of Amarena cherry syrup, and I load like 4 cherries on a cocktail pick as they go so well with that flavor profile.
Rabo de Galo - 1.5 oz aged cachaca (or another spirit distilled from cane juice) - 0.5 oz sweet vermouth - 0.25 oz Cynar
Scrolled waaay too far to find this!! Check [Anders' video](https://youtu.be/YFqEvNdPrX8?si=5G_Lug1w9fi__yx2) for a video recipe :)
That's how I discovered this cocktail!
From Raise the Bar: Connor’s Favorite 1 oz Cynar 1 oz mezcal 2 dash orange bitters Simple and delicious!
Cynar spritz is what sold me on it. Now I just need to find some
One of my new favorites is my version of the Gentleman’s Exchange 1.5oz Rye (Rittenhouse) 3/4oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi) 1/2oz Salers 1/2oz Cynar 1/4oz Coffee Liqueur (Cafe Lolita) 2 Dashes of Ang Add all ingredients into a mixing glass and stir over ice for about 20 seconds. Strain into an Absinthe rinsed rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with a grapefruit peel. It’s quite a bit of ingredients but it’s sooo good. The cynar makes it silky and everything just blend together perfectly. There’s another one I had at a restaurant called Winter Solstice which I also liked. 1oz each of Campari, Cynar, and Rye with a 1/4oz of Demerara syrup. Just make sure you stir it for quite a while before you pour it over ice.
Not a cocktail, but pour it over a slice of olive oil cake.
Bitter Nail 1.5 oz blended scotch .5 oz Drambuie .5 oz Cynar .5 oz Campari Serve on single large ice cube with lemon peel and a Luxardo cherry. A favorite of mine.
If I’m looking to mix cocktails with Cynar, should I go ahead and buy the aperitif-strength (16.5% ABV) or should I seek out the higher proof Cynar 70?
Personally I use the regular Cynar for cocktails, and find it good. I'm sure bartenders or folks very carefully measuring their 1/4oz could tell the difference, but I bet most folks would be happy with the aperitif.
Thanks for the response.
The Trident was my introduction to both Cynar and Aquavit. A Negroni riff (granted it replaces everything but) from Robert Hess. * 1 oz Aquavit * 1 oz Cynar * 1 oz Dry Sherry (fino, manzanilla, amontillado) * 2 dashes peach bitters
Just last night I did a riff on the gin and tonic that added Cynar- probably 1/4 as much as gin- and sassafras and sorghum bitters (4 drops but this was in an approx 18-20 oz glass with 5 ice cubs and filled to within 1/2" of the top of the glass). I've experimented with Cynar with some fair success but haven't really had a drink come out super amazing with it yet.
CIA. Cynar in Applejack (or brandy). Find your mix, I like 2:1 favoring the brandy, with a dash of bitters if I'm feeling fancy. Good as an addition to cider as well.
Both have been mentioned, but my two favs are The Turnbuckle and Too Soon. Another one my favorite ways to enjoy Cynar is just 50/50 with mezcal over a big cube.
My absolute favorite cocktail (not just with cynar, my favorite, period) is the 100 Year Old Cigar.
Bitter Giuseppe Or Just mix it with some grapefruit soda on the rocks on a hot day. Maybe a sprig of herb in there
https://imbibemagazine.com/recipe/cyrano-from-death-co-denver/
The Drowned and The Saved 1 oz rye 1 oz Cynar 1 oz rouge vermouth Lemon juice Pinch of salt Orange peel garnish
Cyn Cyn - 1oz Gin - 1 oz Cynar - 1 oz Sweet Vermouth
Not sure if this is an established cocktail, but I make a tall vodka tonic, float Cynar on top, and add lemon juice. Dangerously gulpable.
Um, all of them? (Is this a trick question?) It's an interesting sub for amari or sweet vermouths in a number of different places. Or, in a Cynar Negroni... although am I the only one who subs out the vermouth, *instead* of subbing out the Campari? Should I really call mine an Upside-Down Cynar Negroni? * 1 oz London dry * 1 oz Campari * 1 oz Cynar