2oz Gold Imperial Beluga Recipe

Chill glass

Place the coupe or martini glass in the freezer for 10–15 minutes or fill it with ice water while you prepare the drink to properly chill it.

Measure ingredients

Using a jigger, measure 2 oz Beluga vodka and 0.5 oz dry vermouth. Add 2 dashes of orange bitters.

Build and stir

Add large ice cubes to a mixing glass or shaker. Pour in the vodka, dry vermouth, and orange bitters. Stir gently with a bar spoon for 20–30 seconds until well chilled and slightly diluted. Aim for a silky texture rather than vigorous shaking.

Strain

Empty the ice or water from the chilled glass. Double-strain the mixture from the mixing glass into the chilled coupe or martini glass using a fine strainer to capture any small ice chips.

Garnish with lemon twist

Express the oils of a fresh lemon twist over the surface of the cocktail by holding the twist over the glass and giving it a quick fold so the oils spray onto the drink. Rub the rim lightly with the peel and drop the twist into the cocktail or rest it on the rim.

Apply edible gold

With clean tweezers or a small spoon, place a tiny amount of edible gold leaf or a few specks of gold luster onto the surface of the cocktail or onto the lemon twist. Be delicate—gold leaf is fragile. The gold will float and create the 'Gold Imperial' effect.

Serve

Serve immediately while chilled. Provide a small spoon or straw if guests prefer to stir the gold into the drink (optional).

If you prefer a slightly drier cocktail, reduce the dry vermouth to 0.25 oz. For a brighter aroma, add an extra dash of orange bitters or substitute with aromatic bitters. If using luster dust instead of leaf, mix a very small pinch into a few drops of vodka to make a paste, then gently place on the surface.