TASTE: SCARPETT at Siro’s + Noah’s Italian, Saratoga
At Noah’s Italian, the Scarpett nods to Italian roots + showcases Tuscan Piro Extra Virgin Olive Oil following a summer collaboration at Siro’s in Saratoga.
Story: Susie Davidson Powell
Photos: Victoria Sedefian/The Dishing
Location: Siro’s, Saratoga, N.Y.
Featured bartender: Olivia Savas, Bar Manager, Noah’s Italian
Featured cocktail: Scarpett
The ingredients: Portofino Gin, almond tincture, fresh lemon, orange blossom honey syrup, Piro extra virgin olive oil, egg white.
The inspiration: Scarpett is actually a word we use behind the bar all the time to joke around with our guests... It comes from fare la scarpetta, which is the Italian ritual of taking a piece of bread and using it to soak up every last bit of sauce or olive oil off the plate and I love that idea because it’s such a simple, familiar part of the Italian table.
For our most recent cocktail list, I wanted to create something using an ingredient everyone knows in one context but completely change the way they experience it - that's where the olive oil came in, with "Scarpett" being an obvious choice for a name. I think it captures what the cocktail represents at Noah’s and how we do it here: recognizable Italian flavors reimagined in a way that feels playful, modern and a little unexpected. Piro olive oil gives the drink this beautiful silky texture and just a little savory richness, and Portofino Gin was such a perfect fit because it already has all of these Mediterranean citrus, herbal, and botanical notes that feel made for olive oil. The lemon keeps everything really fresh and bright, while the almond tincture and honey soften it and pull it all together. A tiny basil leaf garnishing the top of the cocktail adds a fresh, herbaceous note to the nose, and reminds you of its Italian roots with every sip. I think what I love most about this cocktail is that it sounds like it shouldn’t work until you taste it, and then suddenly it makes complete sense.
The build: Combine ingredients and a few drops of 80/20 saline in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously until chilled. Strain out the ice and reverse dry shake to fully emulsify and build a foam. Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
