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Chez needed a ‘blue’ cocktail for his BMG-themed dinner of 9/13. Oh sure, he could have taken the easy road and opted for a Zombie but this one was more of a taste challenge and ventured into that unknown area of Flavorland that often yields gratifying results. In this case, the floral elements of the gin married well with the almost ‘tea-like’ flavors of the Maraschino.
[NOTE: This is definitely not the juice in the Maraschino Cherry bottle. Don't even try to substitute! Go visit your liquor store… and if it doesn’t carry Maraschino… well, keep looking!)
So, get out your pony and your shaker and take this treat out for a test drive. It is, in a word... INTERESTING (In a good way). Chez says that you won't be disappointed.
- Chez
- 4 ounces dry gin
- 2 ounces maraschino*
- 2 ounces lime or lemon juice
- Dash blue vegetable coloring
- 3 or 4 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Stir well and strain into a chilled martini glass.
*Maraschino (pronounce marr-ə-SKEE-noe, as in Italian, or marr-ə-SHEE-noe) is a bittersweet, clear liqueur flavored with Marasca cherries, which are grown in Dalmatia, Croatia, mostly around the city of Zadar and in Torreglia (near Padua in Northern Italy).
The liqueur's distinctive flavor comes from the Marasca cherries, and the crushed cherry pits lend an almond-like flavor to Maraschino. Honey is also part of the ancient recipe. The distillate is allowed to mature for two years in Finnish ashwood vats (because this wood does not lend its colour to the liqueur even after many years of maturing), and is then diluted and sugared. It is typically bottled in a straw-coated bottle.
