Toast new Salvador Dalí exhibit with his favorite cocktail

Spanish artist Salvador Dalí is known worldwide for his contributions to cubism, Dada and surrealism.

But even an artist of his caliber put down the brush and picked up a cocktail every once in a while. And when he did, what did he reach for? A concoction called the Casanova.

In honor of the Columbia Museum of Art’s opening Saturday, March 11 of the “Fantastical Fairy Tales” exhibit – highlighting some of Dalí’s earlier works – Michael’s Cafe & Catering on Main Street re-created the Casanova cocktail and came up with a new creation to commemorate the occasion, the gorro de dormir (Spanish for “nightcap”).

Bar manager Anthony Kearse said the Casanova cocktail is fairly easy to create, short of one elusive and expensive ingredient: old brandy. (The going price is anywhere from 150-300 euros per bottle.)

“You’re talking about a drink that was made in the late 1800s, early 1900s, right before prohibition, so there was a good amount of stuff coming over from France and Spain,” said Kearse. “Re-creating the drink to its exact is a little difficult.”

The original recipe – as outlined in Dalí’s 1973 cookbook “Les Diners de Gala” (and yes, he penned a cookbook!) – required the juice of one orange, one tablespoon bitters (Campari), one teaspoon ginger, four tablespoons brandy, two tablespoons old brandy (Vielle Cure) and a pinch of Cayenne pepper.

Kearse’s version is an exact replica, minus the old brandy. So how does he compensate for the missing spirit? With a half ounce more of French brandy. Can’t imagine that eliciting any complaints.

Kearse came up with the “nightcap” drink by staying close to the parameters of the Casanova, but using the old-fashioned and Manhattan cocktails as guides. The drink is made of Fernet-Branca, Campari, honey-vanilla simple syrup, two dashes of Angostura bitters and an orange twist garnish. It’s served in a large brandy glass over “diamond ice,” after being smoked with cedarwood.

“It’s something that’s going to help you go to sleep nice and easy,” said Kearse. “You have a nice, smoky, bitter, easy cocktail to drink at the end of the night.”

Try one, or both, before or after you check out the new Dalí exhibit, and maybe it will help with your “persistence of memory.” But cut yourself off when you start to see melting clocks.

This story was originally published March 8, 2017 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Toast new Salvador Dalí exhibit with his favorite cocktail."