Astoria Bianco

About the Astoria Bianco

The Astoria Bianco is a clean, aromatic, vermouth forward gin cocktail that puts Timber Creek Florida Gin front and center alongside Martini Bianco Vermouth and a couple dashes of orange bitters, finished with an orange twist. This is a Martini adjacent drink, but the sweeter, more floral Bianco vermouth pulls it in a gentler direction than a classic dry Martini. Timber Creek Florida Gin holds up well in this simpler format because the distillery’s grain to glass process gives the spirit a genuine botanical depth rather than a one note juniper hit, which means the gin still reads clearly even against a full ounce of sweet vermouth. The orange bitters tie the whole thing together, adding a light citrus spine that keeps the drink from feeling flat.

To build it, stir the gin, Bianco vermouth, and orange bitters together with ice until well chilled and properly diluted, since a drink this spirit forward needs that dilution to soften into something sippable. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and finish with an expressed orange twist, either dropped in or discarded after releasing its oils over the surface. Given its clean, aromatic profile, the Astoria Bianco is a natural fit for the suggested pairings of oysters, shrimp cocktail, and fried calamari, where its slight sweetness and citrus lift can stand up to briny, fried, or rich flavors without getting lost. It also works well with prosciutto or parmesan if you want a simpler charcuterie style spread, and it makes a solid opener before a heavier main course.

Because this is a stirred, spirit forward cocktail with no dilution from juice or mixers, it drinks stronger than it tastes, so sip it slowly, pair it with food as suggested, and know when it’s time to switch to water for the rest of the evening. A drink this understated deserves a slower pace than a shaken, juice heavy cocktail would call for.

The Astoria Bianco is a clean, aromatic, vermouth forward gin cocktail that puts Timber Creek Florida Gin front and center alongside Martini Bianco Vermouth and a couple dashes of orange bitters, finished with an orange twist. This is a Martini adjacent drink, but the sweeter, more floral Bianco vermouth pulls it in a gentler direction than a classic dry Martini. Timber Creek Florida Gin holds up well in this simpler format because the distillery’s grain to glass process gives the spirit a genuine botanical depth rather than a one note juniper hit, which means the gin still reads clearly even against a full ounce of sweet vermouth. The orange bitters tie the whole thing together, adding a light citrus spine that keeps the drink from feeling flat.

To build it, stir the gin, Bianco vermouth, and orange bitters together with ice until well chilled and properly diluted, since a drink this spirit forward needs that dilution to soften into something sippable. Strain into a chilled coupe glass and finish with an expressed orange twist, either dropped in or discarded after releasing its oils over the surface. Given its clean, aromatic profile, the Astoria Bianco is a natural fit for the suggested pairings of oysters, shrimp cocktail, and fried calamari, where its slight sweetness and citrus lift can stand up to briny, fried, or rich flavors without getting lost. It also works well with prosciutto or parmesan if you want a simpler charcuterie style spread, and it makes a solid opener before a heavier main course.

Because this is a stirred, spirit forward cocktail with no dilution from juice or mixers, it drinks stronger than it tastes, so sip it slowly, pair it with food as suggested, and know when it’s time to switch to water for the rest of the evening. A drink this understated deserves a slower pace than a shaken, juice heavy cocktail would call for.