Spirits

Gangster

sips Movies and TV have given us many swaggering characters who prosper on the far side of the law. Now a new book imagines their favorite cocktails. Illustrations by Shawn McManus

Running a mob empire is thirsty work. With all that bootlegging, racketeering, shylocking and extortion, it’s no wonder so many gangsters have been known to enjoy a stiff drink. After all, a mob bar is a place of business—it’s where deals go down, where friends get together and where enemies get whacked. Behind Bars: High-Class Cocktails Inspired by Lowlife Gangsters by Vincent Pollard and Paul Sloman pairs cinema’s baddest mobsters with signature cocktails. These boozy recipes excerpted straight from the book are so much fun, it’s criminal.

FRANK WHITE: CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, KING OF NEW YORK

In the opening scene of King of New York, Christopher Walken’s Frank White is released from prison as his associates murder the Columbian dealers Emilio El Zapa and King Tito and then steal their stash. In honor of Frank White’s Columbian connection, this exclusive recipe uses two very Columbian ingredients: aguardiente (the national spirit) and lulu (the national fruit).

NO SÉ

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 oz. aguardiente (Mil Demonios) • 1 oz. Tio Pepe fino sherry • 1 oz. lulo syrup • 1 oz. lime juice • 1 flake Maldon salt

DIRECTIONS:

To make the lulo syrup: Wash and peel fresh lulo and cut into quarters. Gently heat about one cup sugar and one cup water until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lulo and cook for five more minutes. Allow to cool at room temperature. Strain well, bottle, refrigerate and use within 10 days. To make the drink: Shake all the ingredients with ice for 15 seconds. Strain over rocks into a chilled glass.

TONY SOPRANO: JAMES GANDOLFINI, THE SOPRANOS

When the mafia boss is looking for something a bit more sophisticated than his usual go-to, beer and wine, James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano often turns to Scotch on the rocks—usually Glenlivet. This original cocktail includes an amaretto as a nod to Tony’s Italian background. However, as this cocktail works equally well with Tony’s favorite whisky, the base spirit has been switched out for Glenlivet 12.

LAST CHANCE FOR A SLOW DANCE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ oz. Glenlivet 12 • 1 barspoon Luxardo amaretto • 1 barspoon Cointreau • 1 barspoon Bénédictine • lemon zest, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Stir the ingredients with ice for about 25 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe. Take a large strip of lemon zest and, holding the pith side up, squeeze gently to express the oils over the drink. Cut the strip of zest and place on the edge of the glass as garnish.

MICHAEL CORLEONE: AL PACINO, THE GODFATHER: PART TWO

One classic American drink that makes great use of ingredients of Italian origin is the Martinez. First published in O.H. Byron’s The Modern Bartenders’ Guide in 1884, it most likely is much older than that and often thought of—some say erroneously—as the godfather of both the martini and the Manhattan. Equal parts Old Tom gin and Italian vermouth, it is sweetened with a liqueur made from Marasca cherries that doesn’t really taste like cherries but adds an earthy complexity to classic cocktails.

THE MARTINEZ

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ oz. Hayman’s Old Tom Gin • 1½ oz. Italian vermouth • ¼ oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur • 2 tops Bogart’s or Angostura bitters • lemon zest, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Stir the ingredients with ice for about 25 seconds and strain into a chilled coupe. Take a large strip of lemon zest and, holding the pith side up, squeeze gently to express the oils over the drink, gently rubbing the zest around the rim of the glass before curling and dropping into the glass.

LONE MAN: ISAACH DE BANKOLÉ, THE LIMITS OF CONTROL

Throughout Jim Jarmusch’s French New Wave hommage The Limits of Control, the “lone man” (played magnificently by Isaach de Bankolé) consistently sips espressos in the cafes he frequents while awaiting instructions for his next mission. A guilty pleasure for a lot of bartenders, the Espresso martini is a drink that is now finally making its unironic comeback.

ESPRESSO MARTINI

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oz. vodka • 1 oz. espresso • ¼ oz. coffee liqueur • ¼ oz. simple syrup • 3 coffee beans, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Shake the ingredients for around 15 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe. The fresh espresso should create a smooth, foamy texture in the drink, not unlike a Guinness. Garnish with three coffee beans.