95 degree nights
Posted: July 15, 2011 Filed under: alcohol, Chartreuse, cocktails, drinks, Food and drink, gin, liqueur, liquor, summer drinks, Uncategorized | Tags: Angostura, bitters, chartreuse, cocktails, Colonial Cocktail, elderflower liqueur, Gimlet, gin, grapefruit juice, green Chartreuse, Gypsy, Harry Craddock, lime juice, liquor, maraschino liqueur, Nevada cocktail, Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice, rum, Savoy Cocktail Book, simple syrup, St. Germain 1 CommentWith summertime being in full, full swing in St. Louis, the lighter, fruit-juice cocktails have really taken center stage at my house. With temperatures rising above 100 and hanging in the 90’s after sunset, the Gimlet is a great refreshing back porch quencher. And so are the Colonial, the Gypsy and the Nevada… all drinks I really enjoyed over the last couple of hot weeks. These cocktails aren’t just great drinks because of the summer heat and their refreshingness, but also because each of these drinks is a stand-alone hit. Each of them had very well-balanced flavor combinations and were as fun to sip and savor, as they would have been to gulp down whole.
“Colonial Cocktail”
This drink was so good… a tarter tasting “fruit juice cocktail”. I really haven’t had grapefruit juice in a long time, and one day, got the itch to start making some grapefruit cocktails. I guess it was flipping through “The Savoy Cocktail Book”… there’s several drinks in there with grapefruit. I’m glad I got the itch… it’s such a great taste for a cocktail. There’s something unique about grapefruit juice to me… always has been… it’s not like other juices. That’s why I think it lends itself so well to cocktails. It’s such a unique taste to begin with, that it makes a perfect partner to the unique taste blends of cocktails. This drink grew on me so much that I think I made it four nights in a row. And that rarely happens. I like having different drinks almost every night, very rarely ever making two of the same drink, two nights in a row. So four nights in a row was quite the confirmation that this was a drink would become a regular in my rotation.
2 oz. gin
1 oz. grapefruit juice
3 dashes maraschino liqueur
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
(from “The Savoy Cocktail Book”)
“The Gimlet”
The Gimlet, in its original recipe… with the Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice. So simple… so good… so refreshing! I wish I had a jumbo Gatorade Cooler full of it. I guess it’s for the best that I don’t.
2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
“The Gypsy”
Even though, my favorite Chartreuse cocktail, The Last Word, is one of the most refreshing drinks I can think of, I don’t normally think of Chartreuse when I’m thinking of a “refreshing summertime quencher”. However, it once again works well in this refreshing, sour cocktail. The St. Germain really balances out the Chartreuse, sweetening up the drink by muting the Chartreuse a little. In fact, the St. Germain mutes both the Chartreuse and the lime juice, making for a very nice, balanced and refreshing cocktail.
1.5 oz. gin
3/4 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz. green Chartreuse
1/2 oz. lime juice
1 lime wheel for garnish
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
(from St. Germain Cocktails: http://stgermaincocktails.wordpress.com/ )
“Nevada”
I’m very lucky to have stumbled across four such great summertime cocktails in the past couple of weeks. The fourth great cocktail that I loved is called “Nevada” and is in one of the first cocktail books I bought, called “The Art of the Bar”. The recipe may not look like much on paper, but again, the balance between the ingredients is so good! Or maybe, I just really, really like grapefruit juice in my cocktails?
1.5 oz. rum
1/2 oz. grapefruit juice
1/3 oz. lime juice
1/4 oz. simple syrup
1 dash of Angostura bitters
1 lime wedge for garnish
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
(from “The Art of the Bar”)
Harry Craddock says your father smells of elderberries!
Posted: July 3, 2011 Filed under: absinthe, alcohol, Chartreuse, cocktails, drinks, liqueur, liquor, mixed drinks, mixology, spirits, Uncategorized | Tags: absinthe, Angostura, bitters, Champs Elysees, chartreuse, Cherry Heering, cocktails, creme de violette, daiquiri, El Floridita, elderflower liqueur, Ernest Hemingway, French Gimlet, Gilroy Cocktail, gin, grapefruit juice, green Chartreuse, Harry Craddock, Havana, Hemingway Daiquiri, Le Jacques Strap, lemon juice, liquor, Manhattan, maraschino cherry, maraschino liqueur, Papa Doble, Peter Heering Cherry Heering, Remember the Maine, rum, rye whiskey, Savoy Cocktail Book, St. Germain, Tanqueray, vermouth 4 CommentsI’m somewhat obsessed with liqueurs. Often, I get obsessed with the idea behind a liqueur. Something about one will pique my interest… maybe it’ll be an intriguing recipe for a drink it’s in (i.e. Cherry Heering and the “Blood & Sand”), maybe it’ll be the story and legend behind it (i.e. Chartreuse and the legend that only 3 monks know the true recipe at any given time), or maybe it’ll be the curiosity of a flavor I’ve never tasted in my life, along with a bottle that’s nearly as pretty as an old European church. This last example is what caught my attention and began my curious obsession to try St. Germain’s elderflower liqueur. The bottle alone should get anyone excited to at least try a taste. And when I finally got a bottle of my own, I was very pleased with how this fancy liqueur tastes. I was a little worried that it was going to be another liqueur as floral as creme de violette (nothing against creme de violette, I just wanted something different). It was different. I saw a description somewhere online that was spot on… this person said that it’s floral, but not too floral, sweet, but not too sweet. This is true – I was really happy with its unique flavor. True, it’s floral, but only in a subtle way. It also has quite a few other flavors going on as well, to make a very complex flavor. It’s got tastes of pear, peach, honey and citrus, and probably many more. It’s damn good, and it really spruces up a drink. It’s a great way to take a very traditional cocktail that you’re used to having, and that’s good, but that you want to make a little more special. For example, the first drink I made was the “French Gimlet”. I made this very simple drink because I wanted the St. Germain to stand out, so that I could taste the liqueur I’d just purchased. And this is a perfect example of taking a very simple drink and making it something a little more unique and something special by adding the St. Germain.
“French Gimlet”
2 oz. gin
1 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz lime juice
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
“Le Jacques Strap”
The second drink I tried with my new St. Germain was one I found online with a silly french play-on-words for a name. Paired with the creme de violette, this drink was very floral, but in a very soft manner. I find creme de violette to have an intense floral character, whereas the St. Germain has a nice, soft floral aspect. So mixed, it was a nice balance. This was a fun drink with its many different notes of flavors, all held together with the old, familiar background of gin.
2 oz. gin
3/4 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/4 oz. creme de violette (original recipe calls for Creme Yvette)
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes green Chartreuse
Stir and then strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
“Hemingway Daiquiri”
The reason I picked up a bottle of St. Germain a few days ago was because I had a thirst for a cocktail using grapefruit juice. I stopped by the ole grocery store to pick up some grapefruit juice, and that’s when I spotted the bottle of St. Germain being discontinued at this store and at a bargain price. This drink is named after Ernest Hemingway, as it was reportedly one of the drinks he’d drink at the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba, in which he frequented. Apparently, Hemingway enjoyed his drinks a bit stronger though, so he’d order it as a double, using twice as much rum. This gave way to the drink also being referred to as a “Paba Doble” (“doble” meaning double). I thought this drink was just OK… really nothing special. Maybe next time I’ll make it as a double, with 3 ounces of rum, and maybe I’ll like it more too?
1.5 oz. white rum
1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur
3/4 oz. lime juice
1/4 oz. grapefruit juice
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
“Harry’s Manhattan”
In addition to my recent acquisition of the St. Germain, I’ve been spending time flipping through the pages of my newest cocktail book, “The Savoy Cocktail Book”. This is a great old book with hundreds of recipes, compiled by Harry Craddock and published in 1930. Harry Craddock was the bartender at the American Bar inside the Savoy Hotel in London, England. Harry Craddock left the U.S. for England to continue bartending, when Prohibition struck. I’ve made the following two cocktails from the book. I was not very fond of the latter (Champs Elysees), but the former was magnificent! In his book, it’s just referred to as the classic “Manhattan”, but I refer to it as “Harry’s Manhattan” because I thought it was neat that he suggested using a couple dashes of maraschino liqueur rather than the modern tradition of using a maraschino cherry. (This is my first and only old cocktail book, so maybe this practice wasn’t just Harry’s, but rather the old way of doing it? I’m not sure.) The modern maraschino cherry is pretty much sugar and red food coloring, whereas the maraschino liqueur is true to the marasca cherries it’s made from and even features a nutty taste that comes from the pits of the cherries. This was one of the best Manhattan cocktails I’ve ever had! It wasn’t quite as sweet as a Manhattan made with maraschino cherries, and it tasted almost silkier and smoother. It’s unusual that Harry suggests shaking the drink as well. Most drinks that consist of all alcoholic ingredients call for being stirred. I don’t know, but I’m converted… this is my new way of making a Manhattan. Thanks Harry!
2 oz. Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes maraschino liqueur
3 dashes Angostura bitters
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
(based on the “Manhattan Cocktail No. 1” recipe in the Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock)
“Champs Elysees”
Whereas I loved the drink above, I was not a fan of this drink. I’m not too sure of the brandy & Chartreuse combo.
1.5 oz. cognac or brandy
1/2 oz. green Chartreuse
1/4 oz. lemon juice
1/8 oz. simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
(based on the recipe in the Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock)
“Remember the Maine”
I can’t remember how or why I found this drink, but I stumbled across it online somewhere. What a lucky stumble! This drink was really good! It’s a nice stiff drink, with an interesting, complex taste. The absinthe in the forefront made the drink quite intense, while the Cherry Heering hung out in the background offering a nice subtle base. Very tasty indeed.
2 oz. Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
2 t Cherry Heering
1/2 t absinthe
Stir and then strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
“The Gilroy Cocktail”
This drink too… I don’t know how or why I found this one, but I did so online as well. And again, I really liked this one too. It’s nothing fancy, just a good, solid drink. If you ever want a solid, good cherry cocktail, this is it.
1 oz. gin
1 oz. Cherry Heering
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
The only liqueur to have a color named after it…
Posted: June 19, 2011 Filed under: alcohol, Chartreuse, cocktails, drinks, liqueur, mixed drinks, mixology, spirits | Tags: chartreuse, Cherry Heering, cocktails, Communist, dry vermouth, gin, Harry Craddock, lemon juice, liquor, orange juice, Peter Heering Cherry Heering, rye whiskey, Savoy Cocktail Book, Scofflaw, vermouth, whiskey 4 CommentsWelcome back everybody,
Not much has happened since the last time I wrote a couple of weeks ago. I’ve only got two new cocktails to share with everyone today.
However, I’m pretty excited to share one of them in particular. The reason being? It contains the wonderful liqueur, Chartreuse… “the only liqueur to have a color named after it”. I’m excited to have a new Chartreuse cocktail to share here for 2 reasons…
1. I love Chartreuse.
2. I’d say that nearly 85% of all readers who stumble upon my blog, do so as a result of their search for information on this amazing liqueur.
It’s really interesting and really fun to see, in the WordPress site stats page, that probably 95% of the keywords searched, that lead readers to Scientist McGee’s blog, are in fact “Chartreuse”. Obviously there’s tons of other people out there, just like me, who love this delicious and potent herbal liqueur, and if my small, obscure blog comes up in their search results, there’s obviously not as much information on the internet about Chartreuse as there should be. But that’s OK… I’m excited that other Chartreuse lovers have found my little blog as a result of our shared love for this wonderful drink.
The cocktail that I’m including today, that showcases Chartreuse is “The Scofflaw”. This drink is a wonderful whiskey drink. Apparently, when this drink debuted in 1924 at Harry’s Bar in Paris, it originally contained grenadine instead of Chartreuse. So out there on the internet, about 2/3 of the recipes I found had the original recipe of 1.5 oz rye, 1 oz dry vermouth, 3/4 oz lemon and 3/4 oz grenadine, but about 1/3 of the recipes I found (including a Washington Post article) featured this modern recipe:
“The Scofflaw”
3/4 oz rye whiskey
3/4 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz Chartreuse
1/2 oz lemon juice
1 dash of orange bitters
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.
This is a great drink… It’s relatively light because of the dry vermouth and the lemon juice, but also has a wonderful Chartreuse punch! I don’t know who decided to swap out Chartreuse for the grenadine in the old recipe, but it was quite the upgrade. What a move… it’d be like the St. Louis Cardinals trading away pitcher Ryan Franklin for Roy Halladay.
Another drink I tried in the last couple of weeks was “The Communist”. I found this drink in a search for a new cocktail that featured Cherry Heering. This drink’s relatively good. It’s no “Blood & Sand”, which I still think is the best drink featuring Cherry Heering that I’ve found so far, but it’s OK. (However, I may not be the most unbiased judge of this drink, because as I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a big fan of the gin/OJ combo.)
“The Communist”
1 oz gin
1 oz orange juice
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
Those are the two new cocktails I have to share with you today. I expect to have quite a few new ones in the weeks/months ahead though, because I’m pretty excited about picking up a copy of “The Savoy Cocktail Book” today. This book is a treasure chest of great, classic cocktail recipes, compiled and written by Harry Craddock, Head Bartender of The American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London, in 1930. I’ve already started rabbit-earring the pages of all the tasty drinks I want to try.
Until next time, Cheers!
Trips back and forth to the booze merchant…
Posted: April 16, 2011 Filed under: bitters, Chartreuse, cocktails, Food and drink, gin, liqueur, liquor, maraschino cherry, Peter heering cherry heering, Peychaud's bitters, rye whiskey, Sazerac, spirits, The Last Word, Uncategorized, whiskey | Tags: absinthe, Aviation, bitters, brandy, Campari, Captain's Table, chartreuse, Club Cocktail, cocktails, gin, Last Word, lemon juice, lime juice, liquor, Luxardo, maraschino liqueur, Peychaud's bitters, pineapple juice, rye, rye whiskey, Sazerac, The Last Word, Waldorf, whiskey 8 CommentsGreetings friends & patrons!
I’ve made a few too many trips to Friar Tuck’s over the last week or two, and picked up some Peychaud’s bitters, Grande Absente absinthe and Luxardo maraschino liqueur… Great purchases if you ask me!
The mini bottle of absinthe was the way to go (pictured in the Sazerac photos) because it was only $12 or so, and so I didn’t have to fork out around $70 for a regular sized bottle. It was a great way to go to since absinthe is so strong, most drinks I’m finding recipes for only call for a splash of it to coat the inside of a glass. So this little bottle will last me a long, long time. But even if it doesn’t, I now know how highly I think of this green elixir, and won’t mind shelling out the big bucks for a big bottle. I’d tried absinthe several years ago, but just straight (well, with water and sugar and what not, but still…). At that time, I thought it was just OK. But now, using it in cocktails, I think it’s the tops! Like I said, a little goes a long way, and the anise flavoring of absinthe really lends a cool and refreshing note to any cocktail it’s added to. It makes a whiskey drink seem summery! And that’s something to sing about!
The Peychaud’s bitters was a pre-requisite to buy in order to make the Sazerac. Peychaud’s bitters is from New Orleans and its creator is credited as the creator of the Sazerac cocktail. So, there wasn’t much choice there. But it’s really good too.
The Luxardo maraschino liqueur is something I’ve wanted to buy ever since I fell in love with Peter Heering CherryLiqueur (for a photo of Peter Heering, see my blog’s gravatar image… What a guy!).
Once I got the Cherry Heering, I started noticing that there weren’t all that many recipes that called for it’s rich, tart flavor, and instead most drink recipes called for maraschino liqueurs, which are made from the Marasca cherries and are lighter and bitter-sweet, and have a note of almond flavor from the crushed cherry pits. One of the most revered maraschino liqueurs is the Luxardo brand. At first taste, I wasn’t that thrilled because it was quite different from the CherryHeering which I love. But after a few tries and a few different recipes, I’m hooked on it too. It’s typically used in very subtle ways in drinks, and it plays more of a background role, lending a nice support to the ingredients in the forefront. It’s the Steve Buschemi of the cocktail world.
In addition to the acquisitions of these new ingredients, I also picked up a great book from the library… “The Craft of the Cocktail” by Dale DeGroff. I already have a great book by Mr. DeGroff, called “Essential Cocktails” which has been featured many times in this blog with recipes pulled from it. This book however, is a nice compliment to that book. I think it came out before “Essential Cocktails” and is more of a “complete and everything” guide to cocktails, from basic explanations and histories of each type of liquor, to a guide to unique measurements, to recommended websites and further reading, to an alphabetical list of tons of cocktail drinks. Where as “Essential Cocktails” is like a greatest hits album which nicely organizes all the best drinks in to their proper categories (Classics, Moderns, Sours, Highballs, etc.), this book is more like the “Bartender’s Bible” which is almost like a dictionary which lists tons of drinks alphabetically, but has much nicer pictures and descriptions than the “Bartender’s Bible”. Each book is unique to itself and offers a benefit, and so I’d recommend both books if you have the time and money to spend, or a library where you can borrow it for a few weeks. The nice thing is that there are drinks featured in “Essential Cocktails” that aren’t in “The Craft of the Cocktail” and vice versa, and even some drinks that are listed in both have slightly different recipes and therefore you can select which one fits your palate better. Both are top notch books and great resources to have… Reading them is so fun that they inspire me to run to the kitchen to mix one up! That’s why I recommend reading them in the evening time, rather than in the morning before going to work. They can be frustrating if read when you can’t go mix a drink.
Well, enough dribble-drabble… On to the drinks you can make for yourself at home in your bar, or call me up and come on over and I’ll mix one up for you myself…
“Sazerac”
What a drink! I love it! It’s perfect for when you want the nice, stiff taste of a whiskey drink served up, but it’s hot outside and you need some refreshing thirst quenching. The rye whiskey adds spice, but the lemon and absinthe make it cool and refreshing. Plus the sugar makes it a little sweet. When preparing, you only coat the inside of the glass with absinthe, but it’s surprising how much you can taste the absinthe in the drink. Top notch!
1 sugar cube
3-5 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
2 oz rye whiskey
Splash of absinthe
lemon peel for garnish
Combine the sugar and the bitters, and muddle to dissolve the sugar in one old fashioned glass. Add the rye and some ice, and stir gently to combine. Take the chilled serving glass and add a splash of absinthe… Swirl the absinthe around to just coat the inside of the glass, and then pour out (in to my mouth) the excess absinthe. Strain the chilled rye, sugar and bitters in to this prepared glass. If you’re a purist, rub the rim of the glass with the lemon peel, and then discard. If you’re not a purist, twist the lemon peel over the top, or rub the rim, and drop it in to the drink for a garnish. (This recipe is a combination of 2 slightly different recipes from 2 different sources – see references below)
http://www.theartofthebar.com/html/index.html and http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Cocktail-Mixing-Perfect-Drinks/dp/0307405737
“Captain’s Table”
Here’s a drink that features Campari, an aperitif bitters made with herbs and fruits. It’s often described as an “acquired taste” due to its bitter taste. I’m still not a huge fan, but this was one drink I did really enjoy. It’s perfect for when you want a refreshing and summery, back porch drink without wanting a “sweet & fruity” drink. All the flavors are very muted. The drink’s refreshing with the gin, orange juice and ginger ale, but it’s dry at the same time because of the Campari. Very good – Campari… you’ve served your purpose in life well.
2 oz gin
1/2 oz Campari
1 teaspoon grenadine
1 oz orange juice
4 oz ginger ale
1 maraschino cherry
Combine gin, Campari, grenadine and OJ… Shake well and pour in to a collins or a highball glass filled with ice cubes, and top with the ginger ale… Garnish with the cherry.
“Aviation”
This is a great, simple showcase and use of the maraschino liqueur. Very good drink. It has a very unique, nutty taste that you don’t taste everyday in most cocktails.
2 oz gin
3/4 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz lemon juice
http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Cocktail-Mixing-Perfect-Drinks/dp/0307405737
“Club Cocktail”
Great drink! I found it to be very delightful to drink while sitting on the back porch on a lazy Sunday afternoon… Initially, I thought it was a little too heavy on the taste of the brandy. The caramel taste of the brandy surprised me being side-by-side with the maraschino liqueur and the pineapple juice. But by the second glass, I really began to love its unique flavor. It was another refreshing drink that’s not too fruity or sweet. I guess that’s almost the them of this particular blog post… refreshing drinks that aren’t sugary sweet and fruity.
2 oz brandy
1/2 oz maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz pineapple juice
2 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
lemon peel for garnish
Shake well with ice, and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass… garnish with the lemon peel
http://www.craftofthecocktail.com/
“Waldorf”
This is an awesome alternate take on the classic Manhattan! This drink’s perfect for when you want a Manhattan, but want a more refreshing drink… The absinthe livens it up a bit, adding a fresh kick. Very good cocktail.
1/8 oz absinthe
2 oz bourbon (or rye whiskey)
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
The recipe I found said to swirl the absinthe in the glass to coat the inside and then pour out the excess, before adding the remaining ingredients… I was, however, in the mood to have some more absinthe in the drink, so I actually just mixed in about an 1/8 oz of absinthe with the bourbon, sweet vermouth and bitters, and then stirred with ice, leaving all of the absinthe in the actual drink, and then strained in to a chilled cocktail glass.
http://www.craftofthecocktail.com/
“The Last Word”
Now that I’ve got my maraschino liqueur, I was able to taste what this drink was supposed to properly taste like. (I’d originally only had Peter Heering Cherry Heering to use, and in one of my previous posts talk about how it didn’t work well and how it actually led to me creating my own variation called “The Counter Argument”.) This classic cocktail was reportedly brought back to life by a bartender in Seattle (Zig Zag Cafe) who disovered it in some old cocktail recipe books. Since it’s re-discovery, it’s enjoying quite a revival in popularity all across the country. It is indeed a good drink. It too has some really unique flavors and the Chartreuse really shines through and takes center stage, with a really nice accompaniment of the maraschino liqueur.
Equal parts…
Gin
Green Chartreuse
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Lime juice
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/restaurants/2008837441_zres11lastword.html
Cheers!
3 Monks and a McGee
Posted: March 16, 2011 Filed under: Bijou, Brigadier, Chartreuse, cocktails, Food and drink, gin, hot chocolate, lime juice, liqueur, liquor, mixology, New Amsterdam, on the rocks, Peter heering cherry heering, spirits, Tanqueray, The Last Word, Uncategorized | Tags: Bijou, bitters, Brigadier, chartreuse, Cherry Heering, cocktails, gin, liquor, maraschino liqueur, Peter Heering Cherry Heering, Tanqueray, The Last Word, vermouth 4 CommentsWell, I finally picked up my very own bottle of Chartreuse (the original, green variety) last week, and got busy mixing up some cocktails…
Like a friend of mine said, he describes Chartreuse as “gin on acid”. This is a pretty good description. Gin is very spicy with strong scents and tastes of botanicals. Chartreuse is just that, only with scents and tastes of hundreds (130 to be precise) of spices and herbs flying at your nose and tongue, bouncing off the walls of your mouth and nose… so many in fact, it’s fun to guess what you’re smelling… anise? clove? cinnamon? rosemary? You can smell each and every one wait in line, then step up to the stage to take a bow, giggle, and then slip in to the shadows…
The first cocktail I tried was the Bijou. I really didn’t care for this drink, and it wasn’t very pleasant. It was a little too strong – very alcoholic. It seemed like the gin and the Chartreuse were competing with each other… maybe a lighter gin, like a New Amsterdam, might be better to let the Chartreuse take center stage.
“Bijou”
1.5 oz gin
1/2 oz green Chartreuse
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
Dash of orange bitters
Maraschino cherry for a garnish
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass
A nice way to enjoy the Chartreuse is to just simply enjoy the Chartreuse… by enjoying a nice, small glass of Chartreuse and ice. Chartreuse is 110 proof (55% alcohol), so while it’s quite tasty on its own, it’s also quite strong and can knock you on the ground. Watered down by the melting ice just makes it better and less intense. It’s definitely something worth sipping… very nice.
I found another cocktail recipe that many suggested as the perfect cocktail to introduce oneself to Chartreuse… The Last Word.
Whether it’s a good introduction to Chartreuse or not, I don’t care… it’s a delicious cocktail! The recipe calls for maraschino liqueur, which I don’t have. Based on how much I love Cherry Heering, I should probably buy some (typically Luxardo’s the recommended brand). I’ve never had maraschino liqueur, but I’ve read that it’s sweeter than the liqueur I have… the glorious Peter Heering Cherry liqueur. Cherry Heering is one of my favorite cocktail ingredients, and supposedly it’s a much richer, tarter tasting cherry liqueur… different than maraschino liqueur, but what I have (and what I happen to love), so I figured it’s close enough to make The Last Word. Maybe I’m wrong… I don’t know, but if I am wrong… I don’t wanna be right ; )
[NOTE: After writing this particular post, I did in fact buy some maraschino liqueur and made an authentic “Last Word”… For later notes and a photo of a real “Last Word”, which is now one of my favorite drinks, visit another post called “Trips Back and Forth to the Booze Merchant at https://scientistmcgee.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/trips-back-and-forth-to-the-booze-merchant/ -Scientist McGee 5/8/11]
So the typical recipe for a Last Word is:
“The Last Word”
(no photo available)
1 oz gin
1 oz green Chartreuse
1 oz maraschino liqueur
1 oz lime juice
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
http://ohgo.sh/archive/chartreuse/
My recipe, given what I have on hand, is:
“Denis’ Last Word”
1 oz gin
1 oz green Chartreuse
1 oz Cherry Heering
1 oz lime juice
Very good, I must say! Actually, I should say… very good potential. What I mean is that with a little tinkering, I could tell that this drink had the potential to be one of my favorites. This version, which I doubt the swapping out of a different cherry liqueur would have this effect… was much too heavy on the lime flavor. Maybe it was because I used bottled, pre-fab lime juice, I don’t know… I doubt a trusted recipe such as this would be so heavy on the lime taste though. Also, I’d used a brand of gin called New Amsterdam, thinking that I didn’t like the way a stronger gin like Tanqueray seemed to compete with the taste of Chartreuse in the Bijou drink. For this drink, I used New Amsterdam gin instead, a much tamer, lighter gin. Big mistake… maybe it was the overpowering lime juice or maybe it was the weaker gin, but I could barely detect the gin. So… I made some adjustments in my mind…
A couple nights later, I tweaked the recipe, and voila! One of my favorite drinks! Since it’s not the original recipe of The Last Word, maybe I should rename it? Maybe this one should be called The Counter Argument?
“The Counter Argument”
1 oz Tanqueray Gin
1 oz green Chartreuse
1 oz Cherry Heering
1/2 oz lime juice
Shake well and strain in to a chilled cocktail glass.
Delicious!!!
The Counter Argument beat The Last Word, in my opinion. At least The Counter Argument beat my tweaked version of the Last Word (with a different cherry liqueur). Without having maraschino liqueur, I can’t say 100% what a true Last Word tastes like. But I’m pretty happy with my Counter Argument.
And I’m pretty happy with my bottle of Chartreuse… whether I’m drinking it straight on the rocks, or if I’m mixing it with gin and Cherry Heering. It’s a pretty wonderful elixir. Once autumn rolls back around (which I’m in no rush for), I look forward to trying a Brigadier, which is…
“Brigadier”
1 oz green Chartreuse
1 oz Cherry Heering
About 4 ounces hot chocolate
Mix ingredients in a warmed mug and stir