Imperial Recipe

Measure and combine

Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass by filling it with ice and setting aside. In a mixing glass, pour 2 oz London dry gin, 1 oz Italian sweet vermouth, 0.5 oz amaro, 0.25 oz maraschino liqueur, and add 2 dashes of orange bitters.

Add ice and stir

Add three large ice cubes to the mixing glass. Stir gently but thoroughly for 30 to 45 seconds (about 20–30 full turns) until the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted — the mixing glass should frost on the outside and the liquid should be near 10–12°F (6–7°C) cooler than when you started.

Prepare the serving glass

Dump the ice from the chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass and, if you like, rinse the glass briefly with a few drops of the vermouth left in the mixing glass for extra aromatics (optional).

Strain

Using a Hawthorne or julep strainer, double-strain the stirred cocktail into the chilled glass to keep any small ice shards out of the final drink.

Express orange oil

Take one piece of orange peel and hold it over the surface of the cocktail, skin-side down. Give it a sharp twist to express the oils across the drink, then rub the peel around the rim for aroma.

Drop the expressed peel into the cocktail or discard according to preference. If you like a touch of additional sweetness and visual contrast, garnish with one Luxardo or brandied cherry on a pick and rest it across the rim or drop it into the drink.