Czech out Becherovka, the Czech Republic's finest amaro

You've probably seen the distinctive bottle on the shelf at BevMo, on some back bar, or perhaps in the hands of SF bartender Russell Davis (above) but could never pronounce it: it's "becker-OV-ka." Becherovka, an amaro, has been produced in the village of Karlovy Vary (aka Carlsbad) in the Czech Republic for over 200 years. It's making its way onto the cocktail menus all over the city, such as Local Edition and Rickhouse. It's also regularly stocked at a huge variety of bars, such as Clock Bar, Cantina, Dave's in SOMA and Bender's in the Mission.

The amaro is by far the most drinkable amaro I've had. Anyone can pick up an ice cold glass of this stuff (keep the water content to a minimum, so store it in your freezer) and immediately fall in love. It's not very bitter, but you definitely get a little bit of bite, especially when it's served cold. The flavors I get most are cinnamon and then clove on the finish. There are 38 other spices and herbs in the secret recipe, but only two people in the world know what they all are and in what proportions (seriously).

In addition to tasting great on its own, Becherovka also mixes very well with others. We recently enjoyed a few cocktails starring Becherovka at the Burritt Room in the Mystic Hotel

Bijou variation



Usually, a Bijou contains gin, vermouth, and chartreuse. This version substitutes the Becherovka for the chartreuse, and it's incredible. The Becherovka blends perfectly into the cocktail; it doesn't drown out any of the flavors but only enhances them.



Becherovka citrus cocktail. This one is a variant on an Aviation or Last Word, depending how you interpret the recipe. It's got Becherovka, gin, lemon, falernum. I was pleasantly surprised to see Becherovka work so well in a citrusy drink.





A Hot Toddy with Becherovka is my next winter drink obsession. Its flavor profile makes it super easy, too. All you need to do is add a bit of lemon and honey to some Becherovka and hot water and you're done.



At $24.99, this amaro is substantially cheaper than most amaros we'll review. It's worth buying.

The Laphroaig Project

Oh my goodness. Well, while I have been negligent in producing posts (which are just itching to come out), Owen Westman of Bourbon and Branch has been busy being awesome. While I have mixed feelings about Bourbon and Branch, the Prohibition-styled SF speakeasy, this new drink called the Laphroaig Project looks amazing. As the article notes, it's hard to find recipes incorporating Scotch besides, say, a Blood and Sand. For ourselves, whenever we have Laphroaig on hand, we are too busy celebrating its deliciously smooth and smokey peatiness to bring ourselves to adulterate the spirit with any cocktail antics. But Mr. Westman looks like he's onto something.

Here's the recipe (and picture), jacked with gratitude from this fine article.

The Laphroaig Project

• 1 oz Green Chartreuse

• 1 oz lemon juice

• ½ oz Laphroaig Quarter Cask

• ½ oz maraschino

• ¼ oz Yellow Chartreuse

• 2 dashes Fee Brothers Peach Bitters

• Shake all ingredients with ice and strain in to an ice-filled old-fashioned glass. Garnish with lemon zest twist

Looks like a twist on a Last Word! Which is one of my very favorite drinks.

Hope you find this recipe as inspiring as I do. As for me, I've been tinkering more with my Pho-inspired cocktail. Success looks dubious, but if I find any, I will definitely report back.