Years ago, someone asked me for a Crusta. “A… what?” was all I managed to stammer before breaking into a cold sweat and (likely) dropping something I was green.
Turns out I’m not the only one baffled by an old drink with a strange name (which I now associate with its sugar-encrusted rim). It’s a sideline-dweller, a classic purely for its influence over the citrusy drinks – the margarita, daiquiri, et al. – we love so well. Originally mixed with a hefty pour of cognac with dashes of orange curaçao and maraschino liqueur, a few teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, bitters and sugar, it was the first cocktail (that we know of) to bring juiced citrus into the mix.
It’s like a stronger, slightly spicier Sidecar, though it’s never been as popular as its seductive younger sister. The Crusta’s regarded as a crucial stepping stone in the evolution of the cocktail. It’s also mixology’s version of snout-to-tail: with its hefty snake of lemon rind, it utilizes the entire piece of citrus instead of wasting the skin or flesh (economical!)
This dominant garnish gives it a showy element, making it the kind of drink someone might order based on how it looks.
First stop: the Crusta Rhymes (Calvados, Chartreuse, lemon, ginger, mace, $13) at Cocktail Bar (923 Dundas West, 416-792-7511, hoofcocktailbar.com). With maybe the best name for a cocktail ever, this is a delicious, zingy way to kick off your night.
Then try Furlough‘s (924 Quee n West, 647-348-2525, furloughtoronto.com) tikified Pineapple and Almond Crusta (pastis, amaretto, fresh lemon, orgeat and pineapple juice, rimmed with almond sugar $14).
Final stop: your favourite cocktail bar for a classic or freestyle version. Might I suggest Geraldine (1564 Queen West, 647-352-8815, geraldinetoronto.com) or Civil Liberties (878 Bloor West, 416-546-5634, civillibertiesbar.com)?
