Zesty spring cocktails (Red Tornado, Vision)

I hereby declare that winter has ended! I admit that weather is still crisp (to say the least), that’s why today’s cocktails are both very sour.

 

Two pictures of the same drink using different lightning…

RED TORNADO

2 parts gin

dash of blanco tequila

4 parts Passoã

4 parts blood grapefruit juice, hand squeezed

1 to 2 parts lemon juice

Blue Curacao (superchilled in the freezer beforehand)

Twirl a lemon peel into a cocktail glass (as in tornado, got it?). Shake ingredients (except Blue Curacao) with ice and strain into the glass. Gently pour Curacao to the glass, it will sink to the bottom.

Red Tornado is a machine; not necessarily the most empathic thing… this is why I feel his cocktail should be dry and sour. My goal was to create the feeling you would have during a conversation with him (it?): you would not feel outright rejected, but not necessary enjoying yourself… because that android is pretty sour.

 

Same daring lightning techniques as in Red Tornado…

VISION

Bottom layer, red:

Red grenadine (from the freezer)

Middle layer, yellow:

2 parts ordinary or lemon vodka (see below)

2 parts Rose’s Lime Cordial

1 part lemon juice

Top layer, green:

1 part sour apple liqueur

1 part apple juice

Shake layers with ice, one by one, and layer them one by one. Yellow sets on top of the red really easily, however you need to be pretty careful when layering the green on top of the yellow.

This drink is less sour than Red Tornado, but still pretty zesty. Green part is sour, but because of apple, not the usual lemon… then you get to the yellow part, where that “grumpy” lemon awaits, but it’s balanced with sweetness. Finally there’s plain sweet red, as a reward in the end.

You can think this cocktail as a metaphorical study of Vision’s mind: sour and sour, cold and unsymphathetic android, but a good and sweet guy after all. Of course you can approach Red Tornado The Cocktail with the same mindset.

About vodka in the cocktail… ordinary vodka is just fine, but I would recommend Absolut Citron or something similar… OR you can soak lemon peels in vodka for few days: it will turn yellow and gain really rough lemon sting, great for Lemon Drop Martini… or Vision.

 

Next time we’re close to St. Patrick’s Day… so the drinks are green 😀