Chrysanthemum Cocktail
3 Dashes Absinthe (1 tsp. Lucid Absinthe)
1/3 Benedictine (1 oz Benedictine)
2/3 French Vermouth (2 oz Noilly Prat Dry)
Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top.
Well-known and very popular in the American Bar of the S.S. “Europa.”
The Chrysanthemum cocktail really surprised me. I expected it to be far too sweet and/or vermouth-ey.
It really isn’t.
The sweetness is about on level with that of a not too sweet gewurtztraminer or glass of apple juice.
Deliciously complex, yet every ingredient is there to be savored.
It’s true I am a sucker for pretty much any cocktail with Bendictine; but this is one of my new favorites. Definitely something I will make again.
By, the way, the S.S. Europa had its own interesting history:
Launched on March 19, 1930, she served peace time passengers for Germany, participated in war time activities for the Third Reich, was confiscated by the US in 1945, took part in troop movement for the US soldiers, then back to passengers for France after WWII as the S.S. Liberté. Finally the scrap yards of Italy in 1962.
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.
Thank you so much for writing about this cocktail, I’ve been meaning to make it for awhile now, but was a bit afraid (like you, that it would be too sweet or too vermouth-ey). Now I will give it a try!
Actually, technically, the picture above is:
1 tsp Sirene Absinthe Verte
1 1/2 oz Dolin Vermouth
3/4 oz Benedictine
Stir, Strain, orange peel.
;-)
If it’s too sweet, you might dial down the Benedictine a touch, but whatever you do, don’t skip the orange peel.
I tried as is (Noilly Prat vermouth and Lucid absinthe) and really liked it. But the next round, I tried Lillet Blanc in place of the vermouth, and think it’s even better. More rounded in flavor, if a tad sweeter. But still not cloying.
Definitely agree with the importance of the orange peel.
Stevi, I could see how Lillet Blanc would work nicely here, and will have to give it a try next time! Thanks!
Here in Chicago, we tried three variations: we ended up liking the North Shore Sirene Absinthe, Lillet Blanc and Benedictine. Definitely surprising that it’s not sweeter than it is – the balance and the spiciness were nice!
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I think Murray made me something like this one night – I said something not too alcoholic (I’d had 2 already). It was excellent.
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