Drink and a nosh: Italian bitter Cognac sour, and deviled cocktail sausages with lime chutney dipping sauce

I'm a big Campari fan, but lately I've been investigating the other entrants into the Italian orange bitter field (not to be confused with orange bitters). I saw a cocktail that called for Contratto bitter, which I've seen at some stores in town. But I found myself in a liquor store that didn't have it at the same time I had some egg whites that I needed to use and wanted to try the drink below. So a bottle of Gran Classico bitter followed me home.

Turns out there are all sorts of subtle variations in that arena that some people have gone into at great length and in detail. (If you really care, you can find out here.) I didn't care that much but it was mildly interesting. At any rate, the Gran Classico will keep a spot on the shelf.

Gran Classico Cognac sour
Adapted from Food and Wine, which used Contratto bitter

Ingredients
1 ounce Cognac
1 ounce Gran Classico bitter

¾ ounce lemon juice

¼ ounce simple syrup

1 egg white

Lemon wheel and brandied cherry for garnish

Method

In a large shaker (with no ice), combine Cognac, bitter, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white. Shake it up to aerate it, and you'll find out why I mention the need for a large shaker. For many drinks if I'm just making a single drink I'll use a smallish shaker, but the egg whites are going to foam up like mad. Then add ice to the shaker and shake to chill. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with lemon wheel. (I lacked a brandied cherry, so I substituted a fresh cranberry for looks.)

Rating: Quite nice flavors and well balanced. With many Campari based drinks, you just taste the Campari, in which case I'm left with the question of why I bothered to not just drink it straight on the rocks? But this one is a tasty blend, with the Cognac holding its own nicely while still tasting the Gran Classico. The coloring on Gran Classico bitter is slightly less vivid than on Campari or Contratto bitter, which might account for why the drink was more tawny colored than the one I was aping. The egg white is just there for texture, not flavor, so I might be interested in trying it without, since I've never been overwhelmingly into drinks with egg whites.

Devilled cocktail sausages with chutney and lime dipping sauce
Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 1997

Ingredients
50 mini cocktail sausages
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 10-ounce jar mango chutney
1 tablespoon lime zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise

Method
Combine brown sugar, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire and hot sauce in an 8-by-8 pan. Mix together and toss with sausages. (Mixture can be covered and refrigerated at this point if making in advance).

Preheat to 425 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes until heated through and slightly browned.

Meanwhile, combine chutney, lime zest and juice in a food processor and puree. Mix into mayonnaise and serve with sausages as a dipping sauce.

Rating: Really, who doesn't secretly like little cocktail sausages? I mean, anyone who isn't vegetarian? A slightly fancier version than what comes out of crockpots at football game parties, and the lime-chutney dip is nice.

Play along: "Born on Fire" by Ike Reilly, which we fired up after a ceremonial playing of "School's Out" by Alice Cooper. Because the first hour home as you prepare to start vacation calls for that sort of thing. Definitely time to not be at work.