Image by Lizzie Munro © 2018

ASTRAL PLANE

Tyson Buhler, Death & Co, New York, New York

When it comes to session cocktails that completely forgo a strong primary spirit, bitter is better, at least according to Tyson Buhler. “Bitter is an extremely complex sensation,” says the Death & Co bartender, who balances the gentian-derived bite of the French aperitif Salers with off-dry Quinta do Infantado white port, which offers subtle hints of almond. With the additions of lemon juice and soda, the result is a very drinkable cocktail that, in Buhler’s words, “still has enough depth to keep things interesting.”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Glass: COLLINS

Garnish: GRAPEFRUIT HALF WHEEL

1 ounce Quinta do Infantado white port

1 ounce Salers Gentiane

1 ounce lemon juice

3/4 ounce simple syrup (recipe follows)

2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters

Soda water

Combine the port, Salers, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a collins glass filled with ice, top with soda water, and garnish with the grapefruit half wheel.

SIMPLE SYRUP

MAKES ABOUT 1¼ CUPS

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Combine the sugar and water in a small pot over very low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Transfer to a plastic glass container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Reprinted with permission from Session Cocktails: Low-Alcohol Drinks for Any Occasion by Drew Lazor and the Editors of PUNCH, copyright © 2018. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism so that we can be prepared for whatever news 2025 brings.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount