During the winter months, produce aisles of Japanese supermarkets become a bounty of unique variations on the orange: mikan, iyokan, ponkan, dekopon and more. Each hybrid and cultivar embody a different shape and balance between sweet and sour, but most are peeled before eating ¡ª except for the kinkan.
Kinkan (Citrus japonica) is a type of small, round or oval kumquat. There are seed and seedless varieties, and the entire thing is generally eaten in one bite, peel and all. The thin peel adds bitterness to the usual sweet and sour experience of a mandarin orange, and the size makes for an enjoyably fleeting moment of feeling gargantuan.
An Americano is a simple, quality cocktail vessel to explore the subtleties of kinkan. Not to be confused with the coffee, although both are supposedly named because of their popularity with American tourists, this Italian aperitif requires equal parts bitter Campari and sweet vermouth over ice and topped with soda water.
Campari is the staple bitter liqueur used as the base in this family of drinks, and various red vermouths can be used. For a drink this simple, though, a quality vermouth is preferential ¡ª the classic Antica Formula is the go-to for most bartenders. This is the original vermouth, and the recipe still remains top secret and unchanged since its first production in 1786. With bittersweet notes of vanilla, spices, orange zest, candied cherries and dried dates, Antica Formula balances the fresh citrus and bitter Campari perfectly.
This is an incredibly simple cocktail to assemble and easy to take outside for a group picnic. For cocktail snobs who only drink Negronis, it¡¯s a way to scratch that itch while keeping things light and refreshing. For those who still find Negronis too bitter, it¡¯s the perfect gateway into appreciating these bitter Italian notes.
Ingredients:
? 1? oz Campari
? 1? oz Antica Formula sweet vermouth
? Club soda or tansan seltzer
? 3 to 4 kinkan (kumquat)
? Ice
Directions:
1. Prepare your citrus garnishes by slicing them into wheels or halving three to four kinkan.
2. Add your ice to a tall, thin Collins glass.
3. Measure out and pour the Campari and sweet vermouth into the glass, then stir.
4. Top with your tansan and citrus garnish.
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