The Spirit World

I seem to be drawn toward obscure ingredients, especially once which have unique or interesting flavors. I can’t recall the first time I encountered Cynar, but it was definitely an ingredient that fit well into my repertoire. From a flavor standpoint, the way I describe Cynar, as that it is a kinder and gentler version of Campari. While I have no idea how many ingredients they might have in common, I find that the flavor profile between the two is fairly similar, and somebody who likes one, will usually like the other. Fortunately, it is (since 1995) part of the Campari portfolio of products, so I doubt that the parent company would be upset with that comparison.

The Cynar label proudly displays an artichoke, the reason for this is that it is an artichoke based bitter, however the flavor is well balanced, and artichoke does not come out distinctly prominent,  but instead blends in with the other herbs and plants (13 in total), which make up its recipe.

I have been able to uncover very little about the history of Cynar, but would love to discover more about how it might have originated, as well as how its popularity and use has evolved over the years.

You also won’t find many cocktails which use Cynar as an ingredient. I recommend trying it as a substitute in any drink which might otherwise call for Campari, which itself isn’t terribly commonly used as a cocktail ingredient. I personally take pride in a cocktail of my own creation which not only uses Cynar, but also sort of emphasizes my tendency toward slightly obscure cocktail ingredients.

Trident

• 1 ounce Cynar
• 1 ounce aquavit
• 1 ounce dry sherry
• 2 dashes peach bitters

Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.

I originally designed this cocktail as a way to utilize Fee’s Peach Bitters. The idea for this particular combination came from my practice of using aquavit instead of gin in my Negornis. Substituting Cynar for the Campari, and dry sherry for the sweet vermouth became a way to move this drink into a slight different direction, and I found that peach bitters worked quite well in this slightly softer variation of the Negroni.

The Trident has since become a standard cocktail at the Zig Zag Café here in Seattle. They were telling me once that when the manager of the local liquor store retired, she stopped in at the Zig Zag to find out what the heck they were doing that allowed them to sell more Cynar then all of the other cocktail bars in Washington State combined.