After we got our hands on Jim Meehan’s PDT Cocktail Book a while back, we did a little digging around the interwebs to find out what folks were trying. The Bubbaloo cocktail created by Euclides López in 2009 was mentioned, so we flipped the pages and found the recipe. Not a lot has been written about this drink, and since we had all of the ingredients we thought we might give it a try.

Bubbaloo by Euclides López
2.25 oz pisco
.5 oz sweet vermouth
.5 oz apricot brandy (liqueur)
3 dashes Amargo Peruvian Bitters

Stir with plenty of ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The only challenge with the recipe is the Amargo bitters. We picked up a bottle a couple years ago to make an authentic Pisco Sour. There’s probably a good argument against using Angostura in its place, but we don’t know it. Sure, the Amargo Chuncho has a slightly different flavor with a little less spice, and if Mr. López wanted to use Ango he would have written the recipe that way—but as it happens, he didn’t. That doesn’t mean you can’t still make a good drink with what you have on hand. So, we say go ahead and use Angostura bitters. It’s still going to taste delicious.

We love having another recipe that takes advantage of pisco. The last time we used it was for the Pink Panther which is also good, but the Bubbaloo avoids the froth and citrus. Today at least, that suits us a little better. With a subtle nod to the Manhattan, the formula is spirit-driven but lighter than it would be with whiskey. The apricot replaces some of the vermouth and keeps it on the fruity side. Without whiskey’s pushy flavor, a smaller volume of vermouth won’t get lost, and bitters ties everything together. We really like this drink!