Welcome to The Lowdown, a regular Paid Subscriber exclusive featuring what (and where) I’ve recently been eating and drinking. I’ve been holed up in my writing bunker finishing the manuscript for my next book and trying to save a little bread, so I haven’t been out on the town as much but still managed to surface some recent highlights worth sharing.
On today’s The Lowdown…
A delicious new Catalonian Vermut
Easter Lunch at Casa BTP
Dante has a solid cheese board
Camparino brings a taste of Milan on MacDougal Street
And more!
Today’s dispatch is brought to you by the generous support of See the Elephant Amaro.
Produced in Agropoli near Salerno, See the Elephant Amaro di Rucola is made using regional herbs and botanicals sourced from the Cilento Coast region of southern Italy—including the signature rucola (“arugula”). One unique characteristic of rucola-style amaro which stands out is the distinctive note of bubblegum (like that the old-school stick of gum that used to be packaged with baseball cards) and See the Elephant Amaro is a best-in-class example of this unique style and an ideal, Italian-born “gateway” amaro for those just starting to explore the world of amaro. Try it neat, over ice, in a Shakerato with mint, or in a creative craft cocktail like the featured The Oleo-phant In the Room from Shaya in New Orleans.
Drink now and command a common joy!
Use Promo Code CIAO to save 10% off or Promo Code DRINKNOW to receive free shipping on 2 more more bottles on online orders from the See the Elephant Shop.
Today’s See the Elephant Amaro “Bartender Series”—where we talk to talented bartenders with a passion for amaro and ask them to share the recipe for their original cocktail spotlighting See the Elephant Amaro—features Ryan Hughes, bartender at Shaya—the acclaimed New Orleans restaurant centered around a wood-fired oven that seamlessly blends classic dishes from North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and Greece with contemporary Southern flair and innovative culinary techniques—and his cocktail, The Oleo-phant In the Room.
How do you approach using amaro in cocktails?
Ryan: I generally love using amaro as that interesting under-note that you can't always place on the first taste. I find the diverse and versatile aromatics of amaro work so well for an extra depth of flavor.
Do you find that most of your guests at Shaya are quite familiar with amaro these days? How do you help demystify their approach to appreciating amaro?
Ryan: Amaro hasn't seen a high uptick in our day-to-day clientele, although our service-industry folks definitely have it on their radar. I find the best way to demystify it is to encourage getting a cocktail with it as an ingredient, whether that's one of our craft cocktails or simply a classic cocktail, and providing a small sip of the featured amaro right next to it. I love seeing the flash of recognition when the guest creates that bridge between the amaro they just tasted and that hard to place flavor in the cocktail.
Do you have any bartender pro tips when it comes to amaro?
Ryan: I think my biggest piece of advice is to just taste as much amari as you can.
What sets See the Elephant Amaro apart from other amari bottles on the back bar?
Ryan: The interesting shape of the bottle and the absolutely gorgeous design on the label help it visually stand out among the other bottles of amari. Taste wise, I find the almost bubblegum-y sweetness comforting and nostalgic where other amari lean into those bitter and mature notes. I find it a bit more approachable for the newbie to the amaro world.
How do you recommend using See the Elephant Amaro in cocktails?
Ryan: I think the best approach for See the Elephant in cocktails is more as a binder for other disparate flavors one might be trying to get to play well together.
Featured Recipe: The Oleo-phant In the Room
Ryan Hughes, Shaya | New Orleans, Louisiana (2025)
The Oleo-phant In the Room was inspired mostly by my desire to create a light and refreshing whiskey drink to serve during our brutal summer in New Orleans. I landed on grapefruit and ginger for the main flavors but couldn't find a good third element to really kick it up a notch. The two together were pretty flat, though refreshing. Enter Ms. Elephant, brought to the bar by chance by a couple of our brand reps enjoying a relaxing afternoon and talking shop. See the Elephant works so well with the fruitiness of the grapefruit oleo and helps to soften the edge of the ginger, allowing the drinker to only taste the ginger and not necessarily feel that ginger heat. Trust me, you don’t want any additional heat in the summertime! Guest reactions have been very positive overall—glasses only ever come back completely drained!
—Ryan Hughes
Makes 1 Drink
1-1/4 ounce Ginger-Infused Japanese Whisky (recipe below)
3/4 ounce See the Elephant Amaro
1/2 ounce Grapefruit Peel Syrup (recipe below)
1-1/4 ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
Soda water, to top
Garnish: grapefruit peel or candied grapefruit peel and oil of fresh graprefruit peel
Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled and and strain into a collins glass over ice. Top with a splash of soda and garnish with a grapefruit peel, or candied grapefruit peel and oil of 1 grapefruit peel.
Ginger-Infused Japanese Whisky
Combine 25g peeled and finely grated (preferably microplaned) ginger with 750ml of Japanese Whisky (preferably Suntory Toki). Allow to steep at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Strain back into the empty bottle.
Grapefruit Peel Syrup
Add the peels of 4 whole grapefruit (preferably ruby red grapefruit) to a bowl with Mix with 500g white cane sugar. Muddle to release oils and mix thoroughly. Let sit at room temperature to continue the release of oils for 24 hours. Add 500mL near-boiling water and until sugar is dissolved. Strain peels and discard, or save and dehydrate for garnish.
The Lowdown
Drinking
“La Hora del Vermut” (The Long Island Bar)
110 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11201
First launched in 2024 by Phi Peinado and David Neimanis, two American friends who both permanently moved to Spain, the new-to-the-U.S.-market Cueva Nueva Vermut Rojo lives up to the spirited tradition of Spanish vermouth but with an eye toward the modern drinker. Made in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, Cueva Nueva contains a white-wine base of a blend of Garnacha Blanca and Airén grapes, fortified with a lineup of 88 botanicals including wormwood, orange peel, and cinnamon. While it plays well in cocktails like the Negroni, it’s especially delicious served on its own over ice with a splash of a soda, garnished with an olive and an orange slice.
Neimanis had sent me a bottle a while ago and one recent evening I brought it with me to try before dinner at The Long Island Bar. We drink a lot of vermouth and soda at L.I.B. and I’m well aware of co-owner Toby Cecchini’s discerning tastes when it comes to spirits, but as he had just returned from a trip to Spain I handed over the stylishly understated bottle of Cueva Nueva, complete with a swing-top toggle closer, and in no time we had an impromptu “La Hora del Vermut” right here in Cobble Hill. I really loved the vermouth’s cream soda-like profile and it was a hit with everyone who tried it. I definitely encourage you to seek out a bottle.