Why Your Next Classic Cocktail Should Be Upside Down
January is coming to an end, which for some can be quite dry. Abstinence from alcohol has many advantages and one big disadvantage: if and when you decide to start drinking again, you will find that your tolerance is much lower than before the break.
It’s (obviously) not all bad news – you’re getting more bang for your buck – though it can uncomfortably affect your social life. I used to be able to drink four cocktails in a school evening without feeling badly hungover the next morning, but now a couple of martinis are enough to get me drunk. Instead of giving up martinis entirely, I give myself a little wiggle room with flipped cocktails.
We have already talked about the inverted Manhattan . This is a simple drink; all you have to do is swap the ratios of whiskey and vermouth:
Instead of two ounces of gin or whiskey and one ounce of vermouth, you now drink twice as much vermouth and half alcohol. But – and this is important – it still feels, looks and drinks like a real cocktail.
Apart from Manhattans, you can do the same with any classic cocktail that is mostly alcohol and vermouth. This maneuver slightly increases the drinking time, allowing you to spend more time with your drinking buddies without losing your temper by the second round. Could you “switch to sparkling water” or “have a beer”? Probably, but cocktails are fun, and I hate to miss out on the fun (besides, beer makes me sneeze).
If a completely flipped cocktail seems too heavy for vermouth, you can always try 50/50. I’m a big fan of 50/50 martinis , especially during the summer months, which can’t come soon enough.