Rataj-Berard
Sinatra’s Third Divorce
A weekly cocktail column is an unlikely spot to break earth-shattering news. But in case you haven’t heard, Tornado has an all-new drink menu for the first time in, like, forever. And it is a glorious triumph.
For fans of Tornado cocktail classics like the Movie Star Cosmopolitan and the Key Lime Gimlet, don’t panic — bartenders can still make them. But why not try something new?
Among the best is Sinatra’s Third Divorce, made with subtle rosemary-infused tequila, Madison Avenue orangecello (distilled in New Richmond, Wis.), dry vermouth and a twist of lemon; it’s like the love child of a margarita and a martini. Coarse salt and dried rosemary around the rim make for another flavor element, as well as an elegant, crystalline presentation. A bit of trivia: Frank Sinatra’s third divorce was from Mia Farrow, who starred in Rosemary’s Baby.
Brilliantly balanced, sweet and tart is the 1870 — vodka, maraschino liqueur, raspberry balsamic shrub (a vinegar syrup) and lemon, topped with club soda and served over ice. Another intriguing order is the cleverly named This Is Not an Old Fashioned, which combines green tea-infused Tullamore Dew, blood orange liqueur, brandied cherries and club soda. It’s nuanced and refreshing — and it’s totally an old fashioned.