Properly Sauced - Henri's Venetian Mai Tai

By Anthony Todd in Food on Nov 8, 2010 6:20PM

Last month, we raved about the food and drinks at Henri, the new restaurant concept from the owners and chef of the Gage. It was clear from the beginning that cocktails were going to be an important part of Henri's persona, and we brought along our most discerning cocktail-er when we did the review. Rob Christopher is a Mai Tai expert and he has tasted versions of the drink all over the country, so when he says that Henri makes a good tropical drink, we listen.

This is a twist on the classic mai tai, using grappa and homemade grenadine. Feel free to substitute and experiment. If you want to make the the homemade grenadine, we got the recipe from Clint Rogers, spirits director and the man behind the mai tai. Reduce 4 cups of Pom pomegranate juice down to two cups, then add two cups of sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. The grenadine will keep for a couple of months in fridge.

Venetian Mai Tai

3/4 ounce Mandorlo almond grappa
3/4 ounce Cointreau
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 1/4 ounce Matusalem 15 yr rum

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and a splash of homemade grenadine, which will sink to the bottom to make a pretty color effect.