Cafe Maude's Bronx Cocktail: A new twist on an old classic

Cafe Maude's Bronx Cocktail

Its been said that there are no new cocktails, only new ways of making old ones. I don't believe that's true, but I am always impressed when someone takes a drink I know well and really makes it his or her own. This week's drink of the week does just that.

Café Maude's bar has become very well known for its cocktails and for good reason. Johnny Michaels lent his skills to create the original list of libations, and Pip Hanson incorporated his own personality as well with the ice-chopping skills he learned in Japan. Then the reins were handed over to Adam Harness one of the best-remembered talents from the now-closed Town Talk Diner. Harness and his team continue to bring the heat, trying new ideas and even incorporating a $5 cocktail into the program.

On a recent visit my eyes were immediately drawn to the Bronx cocktail, not just because it's an old favorite of mine but because Maude's version is topped with bitter orange foam.

The Bronx is an old drink. It was first published in 1906, and depending on which origin story you believe, it may even date back to the 1890s. Essentially the drink is a martini made with both sweet and dry Vermouth (or a "perfect" martini) with orange juice added. Very unique in that time--or any time--for its chemistry, the drink became very popular prior to Prohibition, but it never really came back after.

Maude's version separates the martini parts and the orange parts, turns the orange juice into foam, and floats it on top.

The result: a deliciously balanced perfect martini. The orange blends softly as you drink it, allowing you to know and understand both parts separately and together

Slide into the bar at Café Maude and try something old in a new light.