BEHOLD: The Drink of the Summer

Go ahead, put olive oil on your bar cart.

Introducing the Saturday Sauna

I have never been one to take photos of my meals, but every once in a while I will find myself at a restaurant looking down at a menu filled with so many enticing options that I’ll snap a photo of it. They’re a nice little keepsake of the night and occasionally I’ll use them as inspiration for Sunday dinners.

One such occasion was at the tail end of last summer, when we were in Cincinnati visiting some friends. We crossed Ohio River into Covington, Kentucky, where we found Mama’s, a cozy little Italian place on Covington’s main drag.

Mama’s food menu was filled with staples like gnocchi, spaghetti al Limone and all the variations of parmigiana — wonderful stuff, but nothing worth photographing for further study. It was Mama's cocktail menu, and a drink on it they called the Oliveto, that had me reaching for my phone.

Mama’s Oliveto included Malfy gin, Italicus, basil syrup, lemon, olive oil and black pepper. I hardly knew what Italicus was, other than it’s somehow not the name of someone that was in Caeser’s inner circle. Other than that, each ingredient was a word of power for me.

Their Oliveto was fantastic. I think I ordered two that night, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

Problem is, that type of Oliveto seems to exist only at Mama’s. Apparently a bar in Minneapolis popularized a drink they call the Oliveto over a decade ago, but their recipe calls for it to be served up, with egg white and a sweet Spanish liqueur. Mama’s was on the rocks and not especially sweet

So, with only my grainy photo of their menu to go off of, I set out to recreate the Oliveto myself. I took to this with some trepidation.

At this point in my mixology career, I am a role player. I can come off the bench, make a few energy plays, then check out. You do not want the ball in my hands with the game on the line, and neither do I. I once tried to create my own cocktail — namely a dirty martini with my beloved Parmigiano Stock — and it was saltier than a mouthful of ocean water.

I can follow most cocktail recipes, and even find decent substitutes for niche liqueurs that I will never own when a recipe calls for me. But if you ask me to innovate behind the bar, I’m going to start looking like Shaq at the free-throw line.

Fortunately, at no point in my Oliveto cloning experiment did I create something so poor that it went directly to the drain after one sip.

I am ready to present my findings.

I’m calling this drink the Saturday Sauna, not because it’s refreshing and a tad dry (although it is!), but instead because our friends in Cinci have a deep appreciation for starting their days insaunas. Cheers, Megan and Josh.

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THE SATURDAY SAUNA

*whispers* That’s actually Gordon’s gin, we just pour it into this Citadelle bottle because it’s prettier.

INGREDIENTS

• 2. 5 ounces gin*

• 0.5 ounce Salers Aperitif**

• 0.75 ounce basil syrup***

• 0.5 ounce lemon juice

• 1 bar spoon (~.25oz) olive oil

• 3 cracks black pepper

• Lemon rind and/or basil leaf, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 30 seconds

2. Pour into a rocks glass and garnish

Black pepper in a cocktail might seem crazy, but it works here

* Yes, I know that’s as much gin as as in a typical martini. No, that’s not an accident.

** I used Salers Aperitif because it’s what I had on hand, but I think any bittersweet, citrusy liqueur would work. I tried a few with green Chartreuse and they were quite good, albeit a tad sweet for me. I intend to try subbing in Aperol for a pink lemonade-type version.

** Basil syrup: Combine 1 cup of water, 1 cup of white sugar and 10-20 basil leaves in a pan. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. It keeps for a few weeks, after that, I recommend pouring it into an ice tray and freezing it.