Dusky Maiden

 

This is another recipe using Forbidden Fruit, something I found on the Lee Spirits website. Though I didn't buy Forbidden Fruit, I made it, they have been helpful with recipes to use in this newly revived liqueur. 

The Dusky Maiden is one of those thick and spirituous egg white cocktails that have no acidity except what comes with the liqueur. That means that the grapefruit and bitterness, as well as the sweetness needed to provide egg white foam that lasts, all comes from the liqueurs. The only other element is whiskey. For that I chose Ancient Age, mostly because I had a lot of it. The recipe called for Canadian Club, and that means smoothness. A blend of any kind would do the trick, but experiment with the types of whiskey you use. I think the point of calling for a Canadian blended whiskey is that you are not supposed to notice it as much as, say, a rye.

Overall, this is a winner. I've seen similar cocktails done with berry liqueurs and cognac, and I feel this was very similar. I'm not sure what that has to do with maidens and dusk, but the name is nice as well.

• 1 1/2 oz. Canadian Club (Ancient Age blended bourbon used)
• 3/4 oz. Forbidden Fruit (homemade used)
• several dashes Angostura bitters
• 1/2 tsp. egg white

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake hard to generate foam. Add ice and shake again to chill. Remove ice while retaining the cocktail and shake a final time. This is an important step that adds beautiful froth. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.

Maiden's Blush

 

(Photo by Ned Drumond)

As you'd expect, the Maiden's blush is a pink drink. It is part of the family of Maiden drinks that have gin and orange liqueur. For this drink I used Rose's grenadine to make sure it had the right pink shade. Instead of triple sec, I used Vitae orange liqueur because it is stronger and a little goes a long way with aromatics.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1/2 tsp. triple sec (Vitae orange liqueur)
• 1/2 tsp. grenadine
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Maiden's Prayer

This is a tropical tasting gin cocktail that could easily be done with rum, and it probably has. I wanted to keep that sense of the exotic and use an unfamiliar gin flavor of Vitae Modern Gin as the base for my example. It takes you out of the mode of thinking that gin tastes like juniper  (though this one does) and gives you a lot of other fresh botanicals to consider while sipping. And Vitae is molasses based, just like their Orange Liqueur. This liqueur enhances the hearty orange flavor that is already present in the gin.

• 2 oz. gin (Vitae Modern Gin used)
• 1 oz. curacao (Vitae Orange Liqueur used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.