vvitalny hosted a little art party this past week, and with an eye towards curating imersive experiences, we thought it would be fun to create a vvitalny cocktail for the occasion. There were a few options. We could find something that touched on the Polish-ness and Argentinean-ness of our pairing, or chose spirits that we liked personally, or create something pink and blue, colors which have over the years inadvertently become the vvitalny colors. Something about the former seemed the most interesting though, and so, not really being mixologists, and with a vodka cranberry with muddled blueberries (a response to the latter) in our back pocket, we trolled the internet for inspiration.

Stereotypically speaking, Argentineans drink wine and Fernet Branca; Poles beer and vodka. We couldn’t imagine an overlap between the two that would actually taste good, but then we came across this inconsequential entry, posted by a South American rental property broker, no less. They called upon Pite van den Bossche, who they claim is “one of the leading mixologists in Buenos Aires” (further internet research did seem to corroborate this claim) to create cocktails featuring Fernet Branca. And, lo and behold, he concocted what he’s christened the “all summer”, which calls not only for vodka, but for a classic Polish vodka pairing, apple juice.

We were intrigued.

Hats off to Señor van den Bossche: this cocktail is good. It has a lot going on, but it works — the apple juice providing just the right sweetness, Fernet’s more astringent qualities tempered by the ginger and the lime, the basil and mint a whisper off the top. If you’re skeptical about Fernet, you might actually like this. It’s surprising, and refreshing, and insatiable. And seasonal! We brought bunches of our own fire-escape grown basil and mint to the bartenders to use in their concoctions, adding a bit of Brooklyn into the mix. We re-christened it the vvitalny  for the eve (giving credit where credit was due!) and it was a hit.

So shake up an all summer before the weather turns cold, and cin cin or salud or na zdrowie as the case may be.

the “all summer”, or, “the vvitalny.”

In a cocktail shaker, muddle 4 mint leaves and 3 basil leaves with a teaspoon of sugar. Add the juice of  half a lime, 1.5 ounce vodka, 0.5 ounce Fernet Branca and 1 ounce apple juice. Shake, and strain into a tall glass filled with ice. Top with ginger ale.