COCKTAIL RECIPES: The Velvet Cipher

Created by Discovering Hospitality’s wine connoisseur and mixologist, Riccardo Lobrano, The Velvet Cipher is a study in precision, restraint, and subtle complexity.

Designed as a cocktail for a fellow mixologist, it takes the familiar neutrality of premium vodka and gives it an unexpected depth through clarified strawberry cordial, fino sherry, dry vermouth, and a delicate savory finish.

Elegant, technical, and deliberately mysterious, The Velvet Cipher is best experienced before its secrets are revealed. Taste first, decode later.

The Velvet Cipher

A spirit-forward vodka cocktail with clarified strawberry, fino sherry, and a subtle savory finish.

• 50 ml premium vodka

• 20 ml clarified strawberry cordial

• 15 ml fino sherry

• 7.5 ml dry vermouth

• 5 ml elderflower liqueur

• 2 drops saline solution

• 1 dash orange bitters

Method: Stir thoroughly over ice until exceptionally cold and silky. Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora.

Garnish: A single strawberry leaf or a paper-thin strawberry slice, nothing excessive.

The special touch: Clarify the strawberry cordial so the drink is brilliantly clear while retaining intense fresh-fruit flavor. The fino brings salinity and nuttiness, while the tiny saline addition makes the vodka feel almost creamy.

Presentation: Serve with no explanation initially. Let the other mixologist taste it and try to reverse-engineer it. That's part of the experience.