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Pineau des Charentes is grape juice fortified with cognac before it can ferment, made in the same region cognac comes from. It is sweet, low proof and tastes more like fresh fruit than most fortified wines do. Putting two ounces of it against one ounce of gin inverts the usual martini arithmetic, where the spirit leads and the aromatized wine follows.
The result is closer to a reverse martini than a dry one. Pineau carries the drink, the gin supplies structure and juniper underneath, and the whole thing lands well under the strength of anything with martini in the name usually does. Flamed orange peel is the finishing move and not optional, since the oils are what bridge the grape sweetness and the botanicals.
Glass: Cocktail glass | Strength: Light | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 3 minutes
Bartenders tip: Stir this, never shake it. Nothing in the glass is cloudy and shaking would wreck the clarity for no gain. Keep the Pineau in the fridge once it is open and use it inside a few weeks, because it is wine at heart and it oxidizes like wine. To flame the peel, hold a wide strip skin side out over the surface, warm it briefly with a match and squeeze it through the flame. A plain expressed peel still works if the theater is not for you.
Steps
- Stir the Pineau des Charentes and gin together in a mixing glass with ice.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a flamed orange peel and serve.
