At Miami’s Macchialina, a beloved rustic Italian eatery owned and operated by James Beard Award semi-finalist, Chef Mike Pirolo, the bar program features inventive craft cocktails, including the savory meat-infused The Speck-tacular Now – crafted by Beverage Director, William Rivas.
“My inspiration for the cocktail comes from working at Macchialina and tasting all of the Italian ingredients every day,” explains Rivas. “I would always sneak a mini speck and parm sandwich. and loved the smokiness that you get from the speck.”
“One day thought it would taste great in a cocktail, so I did a fat wash with bourbon,” Rivas continues. “I wanted to keep the cocktail simple and not mask the flavor of the speck. Mixing it with bourbon keeps the smoky and savory aspects of the speck while keeping it boozy and balanced.”
For the savory cocktail, Rivas renders speck fat and infuses it into Old Forester bourbon, then adds a house made honey clove syrup and Jamaican #1 bitters. It’s topped off with an orange peel to give it the unsuspecting appearance of an Old Fashioned.
The Speck-Tacular Now at Macchialina Recipe
- 2 oz. speck-infused Old Forrester bourbon
- 1 dash Bittercube Jamaican #1 bitters
- .5 oz. honey clove syrup (50/50 honey/water ratio – 10 whole clove)
Build ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass with fresh ice. and garnish with an orange peel.
Macchialina Miami details
820 Alton Rd, Miami Beach, (305) 534-2124, macchialina.com, @Macchialina
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