American Beauty

1 Dash Crème de Menthe. (Brizard)
1/4 Orange Juice. (3/4 oz Fresh)
1/4 Grenadine. (3/4 oz homemade*)
1/4 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Prat Dry)
1/4 Brandy. (3/4 oz Korbel VSOP)

Shake well and strain into medium size glass and top with a little port wine (Warre’s Warrior Porto).

I didn’t really have a lot of hope for this cocktail but it really surprised me. Probably using the homemade grenadine and fresh orange juice is a big advantage, as they are in any cocktail. The touch of mint really does provide a little something else exotic.

Aside from being the title of a Grateful Dead album and the name of an old garden rose variety, “American Beauty Rose” was the name of a song published around 1910. Mostly, it’s one of those, “Yeah, girls from other countries can be kind of hot; but, I prefer my good old fashioned American Beauty Rose,” type songs. No idea if there is a connection.

*1 Cup Pomegranate Juice (Knudsen Just Pomegranate)
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Pomegranate Concentrate
1/4 Cup Vodka

Combine sugar with juice and shake until dissolved. Add Pomegranate Concentrate and Vodka.

This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.