Julian Sorel (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

For some reason, Julian Sorel is called "the worst drink name ever," in the Death & Co. recipe book. I don't see why, exactly, though. It's named after the protagonist in The Red And The Black, by Stendhal. In my mind, that makes it a bit of a Scholarly French name. And Julian Sorel doesn't appear in the list of staff picks for worst names in "On The Naming of Cocktails" page of the bar book. Good name or no, Julian Sorel is a good idea.

It blends The Last Word with a champagne cocktail, which is an awesome idea--dare I even say "a genius-level move." If a Negroni can be crossed with a French 75, then why can't a Last Word be mashed-up with a classic French 75 with cognac. And it works surprisingly well. Best of all: it maintains the easy-to-remember proportions of The Last Word!

• 1/2 oz. Courvoisier cognac
• 1/2 oz. green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1/2 oz. Luxardo maraschino
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• dry champagne (Aria cava used)
• 1 lemon twist garnish
  

Combine all ingredients except champagne and garnish in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with champagne and garnish wtih the twist.

 

Mexi-Gin Martini (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

With all the parts of this cocktail that are not Martini ingredients, this Mexican-themed Martini is very much what it says. Yes, it is basically a Martini with ingredients added, but it is so much more than that. 

Mezcal, celery bitters and alpine spirit really lift the standard Gin Martini to new and more festive heights. The flavor of the Mexi-Gin Martini is very Mexican, similar to tequila Martinis I've had at nicer Mexican restaurants in D.C. It's super herbal with a little burn of jalapeno-infused blanco tequila. Mezcal itself adds to herbal and fruity flavors, and it helps to have a heavily botanical gin like ImaGination from MurLarkey to carry off the gin portion of the cocktail.  

Finally celery bitters is the lifting effect that bridges the connection between dry Martini and fruity tasting spirits. Celery adds earthiness as well as additional herbal boost to hold together juniper from the gin and smokey mezcal by Del Maguey. 

• 2 oz. dry gin (MurLarkey ImaGination used)
• 1/2 oz. Dolin dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal
• 1/4 oz. jalapeno-infused blanco tequila
• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1 dash celery bitters

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Key Party (Death & Co. Recipe)

I like a stirred cocktail that is unapolegetically French. In keeping with this thought, I tried to go as French as possible with ingredients that I had a choice about. The first is obvious: Citadelle gin is one of those top tier dry gins packed with beautiful floral and spice botanicals that are perfectly balanced. It was an excellent choice to pair with Bonal, a rich and earthy French aromatized wine with quinine. 

Amaro Nardini is the only Italian ingredient in this Death & Co. recipe, and the only one I don't have. Amari have simple substitutes that you can go with for cocktails, so I started with my homemade Amer Picon (made with Ramazzotti and orange bitters) and a touch of Frenet Branca to give it that cool menthol flavor of Nardini as well. I've not tried Nardini, but everyone who does raves about its orange, menthol and caramel notes, and I think I accurately captured this with a 2 to 1 proportion of Picon and Frenet.

A final substitution--my usual Dolin Genepy for Chartreuse--is totally acceptable because of its low proportion to the cocktail that doesn't rely on Green Chartreuse to produce a green colored drink.

• 2 oz. gin (Citadelle used)
• 1/2 oz. Bonal Gentain-Quina
• 1/2 oz. Amaro Nardini
• 1/4 oz. green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)

 

St. Columb's Rill (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

This is an herbal and citrusy all-liquor cocktail with Irish whiskey from Death & Co. It is a simple idea that is surprisingly balanced and requires no bitters or garnish to hold it together. That is because the herbal notes and even the citrus come from the botanicals in the Dolin blanc and Green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy pictured). 

It is tempting to add more Green Chartreuse to give the cocktail the emerald color of may Irish-themed drinks making the rounds this time of year. That would be a mistake that would upset the delicate balance. Dolin Genepy, which I have substituted for Chartreuse, is similar in flavor but lacks the intensity of the Chartreuse's green color. Ordinarily, I wouldn't make a substitution like this if the amount were as much as an ounce because of this effect, but here the color change, and really the difference in flavor, are negligible. 

• 2 oz. Bushmills Irish whiskey (Slane used)
• 3/4 oz. Dolin blanc vermouth
• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1/4 oz. Luxrdo maraschino liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled coupe.

Four In Hand--In Coup (Death & Co. Recipe)

 

As cocktail trends come and go throughout the years, there are some recipes that will always find favor. Here's another simple recipe by Death & Co. that is more classic than trendy. This cocktail calls for Old Granddad-114 bourbon, another well priced product, but the overall experience comes across as a spiced rum drink with apple notes I gave it from Laird's applejack-86. The use of George Bowman's Caribbean rum makes for a very colonial-style cocktail, and one that has some staying power. 

A few quick tweaks I made with regards to the syrup: I did not pre-make syrup, I flavored my simples using spirits. For the cinnamon syrup I used MurLarkey cinnamon whiskey. It is an easy way to add a dash of intense cinnamon into your syrup. And while I could have soaked my cinnamon sticks I use for garnishes in hot syrup, with MurLarkey cinnamon, I didn't have to because they made this dry spirit for just this kind of occasion. It is so dry, in fact that you can use it for a cinnamon bitters. 

The vanilla syrup was also an easy correction, adding my vanilla infused vodka to the same simple syrup produced a rich vanilla note with little change to the balance of the drink.

Finally, I used Genepy instead of Green Chartreuse for that herbal lift that the cocktail relies on. Yes, a quarter ounce of Green Chartreuse will be a little more bitter, but it is not enough to affect the color or flavor in such a small proportion, and I'm willing to argue that any Alpine liqueur will do just fine.

• 3/4 oz. bourbon (Ancient Age used)
• 3/4 oz. Laird's apple brandy (Laird's applejack-86 used) 
• 1/4 oz. Smith & Cross rum (George Bowman used)
• 1/4 oz. Green Chartreuse (Genepy used)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon syrup
  
• 1 tsp. vanilla syrup
• orange twist garnish 

Combine all ingredients except garnishes in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled rocks glass and twist the orange zest over it and use it for a garnish. 

A Few Of My Favorite Things

 

This isn't my recipe, though these are a few of my favorite things, that's for sure. Difford's Guide says that a British bartender Dale Bebington invented this, and I have to say it displays superior taste.

Last weekend it snowed in Virginia, and this recipe really called to me. Even the name from the Sound Of Music felt especially appropriate for winter. I had all the things for the recipe, essentially. Genepy is alpine spirit along the same lines as Chartreuse, it is even French, and I believe it comes from the many unsuccessful attempts to replicate Chartreuse back during a time when it was in short supply.

Other ingredients include Martel cognac, which was specified in the recipe as well as mildly sweet Amontillado sherry. Instead of Aperol, I have Ambrosia by Don Ciccio & Figili, amari makers in the U.S. capital. Lastly, a dash of Angostura bitters and orange bitters. It's like a stirred pie!

• 1/3 oz. Martell cognac
• 1/3 PX sherry Amontillado used
• 1/3 Aperol or red sweet Italian amaro (Ambrosia used)
• 1/6 green Chartreuse (Dolin Genepy used)
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 dash Hella orange bitters
• lemon zest twist
  

Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass full of fresh ice. Twist lemon over the glass and drop it in.

Chartreuse Swizzle (Smuggler's Cove Recipe)

Let's face it. You love Chartreuse. You need at least 130 botanicals in your alpine spirit. To top it off you need falernum with all that spice and citrus just to make your drink.

Remember to used crushed ice and to put a napkin wrap on the glass. I can't understate how satisfying it is to drink from a frozen glass while holding it by a dry napkin.

• 1 1/2 oz. green chartreuse
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 1 oz. pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz. falernum (homemade falernum used)

Combine all ingredients in a Collins glass wrapped with a napkin. Fill with crushed ice and stir with a Swizzle stick until half the ice melts and the liquid is cooled. Top with more crushed ice and stir again until the glass freezes over.

Lollypop

Sometimes I'm just in the mood for a liqueur cocktail--one that is very strong and complex, anyway! The Lollypop is no weak girl drink. The flavors, by themselves, are harsh and off-putting. There's the extreme herbal and citrus zest flavors of Chartreuse mated with the funky black cherry distillate (that's similar to mezcal) in the kirschwasser. Then bitter and sweet orange of triple sec and maraschino liqueur send this drink over the top.

What happens is remarkable: the flavors are so well balanced. No one overwhelms and you move from one pleasant experience to another with anticipation. My gut tells me that this is the doing of the triple sec. As a much derided liqueur, triple sec doesn't get the credit it is due for taming harsher flavors in drinks. No wonder it is present in Margaritas as well as drinks like the Chapel Hill and  Champ Elysees. Gin, bourbon and tequila have some funky edginess that triple sec manages to tame nicely.

• 1 oz. green Chartreuse
• 1 oz. kirschwasser
• 1 oz. triple sec
• 1 tsp. maraschino liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Alaska

I've been waiting for the right conditions to make this cocktail. It couldn't be too hot outside; I had to be in a gin mood; and sometimes a new ingredient pushes me over the edge. For the latter part, it was Hella Bitters orange bitters. These are more spicy than my homemade orange bitters. They taste a lot more like clove and cinnamon--real holiday spice rack stuff. I still like them for this cocktail, but I'll use my bitters for more citrusy drinks.

Green Chartreuse really makes the Alaska what it is, and orange bitters ensures that the flavors come together. But the base of the drink is gin. My pick of Blue Coat Barrel Reserve gin seemed fitting. It is 47 percent alcohol, and Green Chartreuse is 55 percent. The effect of this drink is pretty staggering.

• 2 oz. gin (Bluecoat Barrel Reserve used)
• 1/2 oz. green Chartreuse
• 3 dashes of orange bitters (Hella Bitters used)
• lemon twist

Combine all ingredients except twist in a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the twist.

Warday's Cocktail

Whoever this Warday is, he's a strange dude. Here are combined some of the most unusual liquors to make a great cocktail. I wonder how he came up with it. I also made a few improvements to the drink as well. I used Bluecoat Barrel Reserve gin because I figured it would fit in fine with barrel aged apple brandy. I also didn't deign to use yellow Chartreuse (the sweeter, milder version) when I had the bitterer green. Carpano Antica Formula rounded the whole thing out into one of the most nuanced drinks I've made in months.

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (Bluecoat Barrel Reserve used)
• 1 oz. apple brandy (Catoctin Creek Quarter Branch used)
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth (Antica Formula used)
• 1 tbsp. yellow Chartreuse (green used)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Bijou (Revisited)

I last made a Bijou (one of the "Opera" family of drinks) with Ransom gin. I felt it was missing something, and that was the vermouth. The first time I tried a Bijou was at Iron Gate in D.C. where they served it on tap made with Bols Genever and Dolin sweet vermouth. I have been trying to recreate the flavor ever since with little success.

This time I've done it! Blue Coat Barrel Reserve gin is aged like Ransom without the funkiness of their single malted barley (which I love in a Martinez but doesn't fit this drink.) Carpano Antica makes for a richer bitterness than my Martini & Rossi did. There really isn't a better pairing of these strong herbal spirits than a Bijou!

• 1 1/2 oz. gin (Bluecoat Barrel Reserve used)
• 1 oz. green Chartreuse
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica used)
• lemon peel
• Maraschino cherry

Combine all ingredients except fruit in a shaker with ice, but stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with fruit.

Jewel Cocktail

The name describes this drink well. It is clear and deep looking in the glass with lots of rich and complex flavors. It is almost too much when made with Bombay sapphire and might be improved if made with an aged gin to muddy the flavors a little more. Like the Bijou, the more pre-prohibition you can go with the gin, the better the flavor.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 1/2 oz. green Chartreuse
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 3 dashes bitters
• maraschino cherry

Combine all liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add cherry garnish.

Gretna Green

A little pea-soup green and unattractive, this drink packs a wallop of flavor. This will be popular with drinkers of Irish Mist and Drambuie but uses neither. Here's a helpful hint. Make a solution with the Chartreuse and the honey by muddling them together in the shaker. This will break up the honey and spread it throughout the drink.

• 1 oz. heather honey (clover used)
• 1 1/2 oz. scotch
• 1/2 oz. green Chartreuse
• 1 oz. lemon juice

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

Tailspin

This is one bad-ass drink. It is not only the proportions, but, with the exception of the gin, everything in it is above 40 proof. It's a Chartreuse bomb of a drink too, with so many herbal flavors it is overwhelming. I'd consider it a flawed drink with the exception that I think that this was done intentionally to stupefy the drinker with flavor and potency as it did me.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1 1/2 oz. green Chartreuse
• 1 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
• dash orange bitters
• lemon twist
• cherry

Combine all ingredients except twist and cherry in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with fruit.

Tipperary

An awesome drink with much spice and herbal flavor due to vermouth and green Chartreuse. A must do, for sure!

• 1 oz. Irish whiskey
• 1 oz. sweet vermouth
• 1/2 oz. green Chartreuse
• cherry

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

Gypsy

This is an old classic that is spiced up with newer liqueurs. Try a Gypsy made with French liquor and Old Tom style gin to get the pre-prohibition flavor of the cocktail. This is a very refreshing citrus cocktail.

• 1 1/2 oz. gin
• 3/4 oz. green Chartreuse 
• 1/2 oz. St. Germain
• 1/2 oz. lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime twist or wheel.








St. Germain is French elderflower and citrus liquor. It may taste a little bit like soap served neat, but it really takes a back seat to your gin or other spicier liquors like Chartreuse. Try it in a couple of drinks or with your champagne for a flowery kick.