Three Ways: The Gibson Cocktail

At the lobby bar in Austin’s chic Hotel Van Zandt, you can order your Gibson with vodka or gin; either way, it will be a theatrical affair. Lead bartender Curtis Janto’s recipe is thrown repeatedly between mixing tins to chill and aerate the cocktail, which he feels develops the herbaceous and citrus notes of the drink.

2 oz. gin or vodka
1/2 oz. Cocchi Americano
1/4 oz. dry vermouth
barspoon brine

Tools: shaker, Boston shaker or barspoon, strainer
Glass: coupe
Garnish: pickled pearl onion

Combine 2 oz. of gin or vodka with 1/2 oz. of Cocchi Americano, 1/4 oz. of dry vermouth, and a barspoon of brine in an ice-filled shaker. At Brass Poppy, bartenders throw the cocktail into a second Boston shaker held at the hip; at home, you can stir the drink in the shaker, then strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a pickled pearl onion.
Brine and GarnishBoil 2 parts Champagne vinegar, 1 part water, 1/4 part granulated sugar, 1/8 part salt, 1/4 part peeled and minced ginger, and 1/8 part peeled and minced black garlic, stirring until dissolved. Strain and pour over blanched and peeled pearl onions. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

Curtis Janto, Brass Poppy, Austin