Bottle Your Own Carbonated Cocktails
Wouldn’t it be great if you could open up the fridge and grab a chilled, fizzy cocktail? Just pop the top and take a swig. You don’t have to dilute your delicious libation with ice. Bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler shows us how to carbonate and store our cocktails the right way.
First, start with the right cocktail. Morgenthaler says that cocktails made with aperitif spirits like Aperol and Campari work best simply because the light and refreshing flavors of these spirits work well with bubbles. That said, if you want to carbonate a Manhattan, go right ahead. (We recommend trying this with an Americano, an Aperol Spritz, a simple Tom Collins, or even a Negroni.)
Next, you need the right equipment. If you don’t have a Sodastream, get one. This water carbonator is compact and easy to use. You can get a complete starter kit (on Amazon) for less than $100. Using the Sodastream with anything other than water voids the warranty, but the trick is not to over-fill the bottle or over-carbonate the cocktail.
Store your cocktail in the Sodastream bottle — or, if you want to get fancy, you can also buy little glass bottles, caps and a bottle capper.
Now it’s time to carbonate! Morganthaler modified the classic Americano recipe so that it’s suited to carbonation (the recipe makes four cups, just enough to fill the Sodastream bottle).
Bottled Carbonated Americano
8 ounces sweet vermouth (Dolin Rouge or Martini and Rossi)
6 ounces Campari
18 ounces water
1 orange, peeled with a vegetable peeler, zests squeezed into the mixture to express the oils
Mix the ingredients and carbonate with the Sodastream. Use a funnel to slowly transfer the liquid to the small bottles. Use the bottle capper to seal each bottle, then store in the fridge until company comes.
Further Reading:
Bottled Carbonated Cocktails, jeffreymorgenthalter.com
Tech Bubble: Exploring the Carbonated Cocktail, Wired.com
Summer in a Bottle | Americano Soda, Times Magazine
(with reporting from Donny O’Neill)