- Main: April 2008 -

There are two bottles in my cabinet that, despite my high hopes for them upon purchase, have been virtually untouched beyond my first just-home experiments. They are the relatively-new-to-market, once-mixologist-trendy, now-somewhat-estranged, elderflower liqueur from France, St. Germain; and the relatively-new-to-our-market, more traditional, bitters-style aperitif from Italy, Aperol.

The former is of amazing quality and promise, yet has mostly led to cloying cocktails with flavor profiles amounting to, "Tee hee, elderflower liqueur!" Its difficult mixing properties have, it seems, been noted by the mixologist community: after an initial flurry of excited reports and attempts, near release, it's been almost ignored. The latter has been around a while, though is somewhat new to the US. It's billed by many as a lighter, more accessible Campari, and has been used to varying success mostly as a substitute for its older brother by those of delicate constitution. In my own estimation, there is a strange artificiality to its flavor profile when tasted neat, almost reminiscent of orange Kool-Aid, that was off-putting enough for me to dismiss.

I found it rather shocking, then, that the potential of both was illustrated to me for the first (and, so far, only) time together in a single cocktail. The surprise is mitigated by its esteemed author, Paul Clarke. Unfortunately, he's yet to name the cocktail. I got permission to post it with a temporary name, derived from his original blog post, and will update my references once he names it officially. He hinted that he may address the cocktail, and its name, more fully at the upcoming Tales of the Cocktail event, in New Orleans.

The Done Yet

• 1½ oz Gin
• ½ oz St. Germain
• ½ oz Aperol
• ½ oz Lemon juice

Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with nothing.

The gin, lemon, and Aperol battle against the intrusive power of the St. Germain, to the result of a pleasant truce of flavors. This cocktail is light, balanced, and terribly easy to sip, or even to gulp. I would classify this as neither an aperitif nor a digestif, but rather a tea-time drink: refreshing and best enjoyed on its own rather than in anticipation of, or recovery from, a meal.

Paul Clarke has my compliments for devising, in my opinion, the as-yet only cocktail to make excellent use of these two tricksters.

I was conflicted on entering this round of MxMo in two ways. First, I am in the midst of a cross-country move, and arguably could use my time more wisely. Second, the cocktail I wish to enter could, also arguably, be disqualified on a technicality. The first argument lost strength in the wake of the thoughtful, nourishing glass of wine (or two) that accompanied dinner. The second, well, while Anna requires cocktails mixed with "a sweet alcoholic beverage infused with fruits or fruit flavours," which rules out kirsch, my entrant's star player (it's completely dry), she later lists kirsch as an example of such, which rules it right back in, even if she maybe meant maraschino. In short: count me in.

This cocktail is the result of several evenings of intense mixological experimentation, over the course of the past month. I bought a premium kirsch for my last entrant, the Singapore Strait Jacket, and was so impressed with its potential that I sought out more kirsch-based cocktails to sample. The pickin's, as they say in my soon-to-be home state of KY, were slim. This led to my aforementioned experimentation and, ultimately, to this delightful, roguishly dry cocktail.

The Black Forest Epistle

• 1½ oz Gin
• 1 oz Kirsch
• 1 tsp Frangelico
• ¼ tsp Absinthe

Stir with ice, strain into cocktail glass, garnish with nothing.

I initially arrived at the above sans absinthe (which you can substitute with pastis, if you must), and it was very promising, but needed flavor marriage. I turned to the traditional tool for the job, bitters, but none gave the cocktail that perfect balance found in all the greats. Then, on a lark, I tried a dash of absinthe, and, in green fairy style, magic ensued.

I am prepared to claim this as a great cocktail. Also, fairly unique for its focus on kirsch. I fervently hope you'll give it a try and post your feedback! Don't do it for me; do it for yourself.