Gancia batido

Ingredients

The shake

• 90 mlGancia Americano (the Italian-Argentine wine-based bitter aperitif, 14.8% ABV)
• 30 mlfresh lemon juice, strained
• 15–20 mlsugar syrup, or 2 tsp caster sugar
• Ice cubes, to fill the shaker

To serve

• 1tall glass or a wide tumbler, chilled
• Fresh ice, for the glass
• 1lemon wheel
• A splash of soda water, optional, if you want it longer

Directions

1. Chill the glass in the freezer while you work. Gancia batido is drunk very cold and the glass is half the job.
2. Squeeze the lemons fresh and strain out pulp and pips. Bottled lemon juice gives the flat, slightly bitter note that ruins this drink.
3. If using caster sugar rather than syrup, put it in the shaker with the lemon juice first and stir until the grains have dissolved.
4. Add the Gancia, then fill the shaker to the top with ice cubes. A full shaker chills fast and dilutes less than a half-empty one.
5. Shake hard for 12–15 seconds, until the tin is painfully cold and frosted on the outside. Batido means beaten, and the vigorous shake is the whole identity of the drink: it should arrive with a foamy head.
6. Strain into the chilled glass over fresh ice, or into a tumbler with the shaken ice for the rougher bar version.
7. Top with a splash of soda if you want it longer and lighter; many Buenos Aires bars serve it short and undiluted.
8. Garnish with a lemon wheel and drink immediately, while the foam is still standing.

Technique

• Gancia is an aromatised wine aperitif from Piedmont that became an Argentine bar fixture, and the batido is the local invention: essentially a Gancia sour without egg.
• The balance to aim for is sharp rather than sweet. Start with 15 ml syrup and add more only if the lemons are unusually fierce.
• Because Gancia is only around 15% ABV, the drink is refreshing rather than strong, which is why it is ordered by the jug in summer.
• Shake it hard and serve it fast. Left standing, the foam falls and it tastes merely of cold lemon.

Substitutions

• No Gancia: a dry white vermouth or Lillet Blanc with 1 tsp of an orange bitter approximates the profile, though it is less bitter.
• Lime can replace lemon for a sharper, more tropical version, common in the north.

Variations

• Gancia batido, shaken with lemon and sugar and served short.
• Gancia con limón, simply built over ice with lemon soda, the easy version.
• A jug batido, made in a blender with ice for a group.

History

Made with an Italian aperitif long produced in Argentina; a standard order in Buenos Aires bars.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gancia batido?

Gancia batido is a cocktail from Argentina: gancia aperitif shaken hard with lemon juice, sugar and ice. Made with an Italian aperitif long produced in Argentina; a standard order in Buenos Aires bars.

How long does Gancia batido take to make?

Gancia batido takes 5 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Gancia batido?

Yes, within limits. No Gancia: a dry white vermouth or Lillet Blanc with 1 tsp of an orange bitter approximates the profile, though it is less bitter. Lime can replace lemon for a sharper, more tropical version, common in the north.

What is the most important thing to get right in Gancia batido?

If using caster sugar rather than syrup, put it in the shaker with the lemon juice first and stir until the grains have dissolved.