Poor Man's Chartreuse

With Green Chartreuse being so hard to find out in wild these days, I present to you a Poor Man’s Chartreuse DIY recipe, which really is not a Poor Man’s recipe, as it’s actually quite expensive to make, but does work well.

Recipe: 2 to 1 to 1/2 ratio (For a 750ml)

1. 14 oz Dolin Genepy

2. 7 oz Strega (Italian liqueur)

3. 3.5 oz Absinthe (high proof)

4. 3 droplets of Creme de Menthe (for color)

5. Teaspoon Gum Syrup (Liber & Co)

Combine all ingredients into a 750 ml bottle and let marry for at least two weeks (or longer) while gently shaking the bottle every other day.

Note: Strega liqueur makes the best straight up Yellow Chartreuse substitute and Dolin Genepy is the best Green Chartreuse substitute despite not having the same ABV. I would suggest trying this recipe in a 2 oz to 1 oz to 1/2 oz recipe format first as these liqueurs are expensive and you may decide you want to tweak the recipe further for your own palette. Cheers.

The Case To Use More Grapefruit Peel

Since the incarnation of social media and photo sharing, cocktail garnishes have grown and gotten more inventive. Garnishes are mostly decorative ornaments on a drink, but some serve a specific function in cocktails by imparting fresh flavor. But these days the better your garnish game the more "likes" you get.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for innovation and creativity, but I'm a bit old-fashioned when it comes to garnishes. The simpler the better (not to mention easier), except for tiki-style drinks where I tend to take more imaginative liberties. 

One garnish that hardly sees any playing time in stirred drinks is the grapefruit peel (ruby or pink). Mostly reserved for gin or agave based drinks, the grapefruit peel can be used in a variety of spirit based drinks. Yes, grapefruit with gin and tequila or mezcal works phenomenally, but it can also be used in a brandy, rum or whiskey based stirred drinks. 

The grapefruit is slightly tart and sweet and has a much more pronounced floral and aromatic quality. It can liven up a cocktail and bring a whole new profile to an ordinary, stirred drink. That doesn't mean that any cocktail recipe can work with a grapefruit peel; it needs the right components. By components, I mean modifiers. For instance, below I used Ramazzotti which has citrus and licorice characteristics and holds up nicely to the grapefruit flavor. I also used Dolin Blanc and Punt e Mes that pair rather well too. I even incorporated other flavors like orange, cherry and apricot bitters, which all would work nicely mixed in a fruit cup if they were served together.

Confused? Don't be. Think of the flavor combinations that work in food recipes. For instance, grapefruit and vanilla, grapefruit and basil, grapefruit and mint, grapefruit and chocolate or grapefruit slices in everyday salads work tremendously well together. The point and my case is that grapefruit goes well with a huge variety of diverse flavors, so why should the lemon or orange peel get more use? 

Below are examples of two stirred drinks that use the grapefruit peel as a garnish, which help improve the overall taste of the cocktail. 

The Ramazzotti Negroni or "Milano Negroni":

• 1.5 oz gin (I recommend Beefeater)

• .75 oz Dolin Blanc

• .75 oz Ramazzotti Amaro

• 1 dash orange bitters

• Garnish: grapefruit peel

• tiny pinch of salt or a drop of 1:1 Salt to Water tincture

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and add ice. Stir until properly diluted. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish.

Bourbon Spiced Apricot or "Veronica CornNStone":

• 2 oz bourbon

• .5 oz Punt e Mes

• .5 oz Ramazzotti

• 2 dash apricot bitters (or any stone fruit bitters)

• 1 dash spiced cherry bitters

• barspoon gum syrup

• pinch of salt or a 1:1 drop of salt to water tincture

• Garnish: grapefruit peel

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass and add ice. Stir until properly diluted. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish.

Substitutions:

Punt e Mes: A full-bodied vermouth, like Carpano Antica can be used in a pinch. However, add an extra dash of spiced cherry bitters to give more body to the cocktail.

Ramazzotti: Ramazzotti is an extremely versatile and affordable amaro. I highly recommend keeping a bottle on your homebar. But if you don't have it, you can try some other amari, like Amaro Lucano, Averna, or Amaro Ciocaro. 

Gum Syrup: Demerara simple syrup can be used in a pinch. If necessary, a small bar spoon of Luxardo Maraschino can be used, but will change the flavor profile of the cocktail. The gum syrup adds sublte sweetness, but what you are looking for is mouth feel or a more viscous consistency.

Bitters: The bitters can be bought or made at home. However, orange bitters can be substituted for Apricot if necessary. Angostura can be substituted for cherry, but both would make an entirely different, but balanced drink. I would also use an orange peel garnish instead. 

Note: The use of Ramazzotti in both cocktails was shear circumstance as it was on my counter at the time I made these drinks and is also an incredibly versatile modifier. 

Good Home Bar Bottles To Have

Whether you have an extensive home bar bottle collection or you are just starting out, here is my list of good bottles to have stocked.

1. gin

2. vodka

3. silver rum

4. whiskey (American)

5. sweet and dry vermouth (small bottles)

6. blanco tequila

7. Triple sec or orange liqueur

8. aromatic bitters

9. Luxardo Maraschino

10. Scotch Whisky

1. Gin - I am a huge fan of Plymouth Gin, but their higher price and lower proof tend to work best in only certain drinks and not so much in others. Beefeater is fantastic in shaken drinks and stirred. It is also relatively inexpensive, very common and makes a fine Martini.

2. Vodka - I hardly ever drink vodka but it is a must have because many people do drink it. Most top shelf vodkas are interchangeable with the more middle shelf vodkas. I tend to lean towards Ketel One, but like others just as much. For more inexpensive vodkas, look for Russian Standard, Tito's, Svedka or Sobieski.

3. Silver rum - Be careful of the big brands here. Bacardi, Captain's and Brugal may be cheap, but they won't be the best bang for your buck. I would go with Flor de Cana 4 Year Extra Secco (Dry). It's quality rum and very affordable. Also look for El Dorado 3 Year. 

4. Whiskey - This is my favorite liquor category and the one I know the most about. Some other home bar enthusiasts may tell you to get specific types of whiskey (rye, Tennessee or bourbon), but I think if you are on a budget, having only one bottle is fine. I would go for a middle shelf bourbon that is heavy on the rye content, so the spice notes carry through. Look for Redemption High-Rye Bourbon, Bulleit Bourbon, Elijah Craig 12 year, Eagle Rare, or Four Roses Single Barrel. These brands can be sipped on their own or mixed into cocktails. 

5. Sweet and Dry vermouth - Look for the small bottles. Most will run you about $4.99 to $5.99 a bottle. Very inexpensive and a must have for many stirred cocktails. Martini and Rossi or Noilly Prat are great bang for your buck brands. Be sure to store them in the refrigerator and replace the bottles after a month of being opened. 

6. Blanco Tequila - Always look for 100% Blue (or Azul) Agave. If it doesn't state that, then who knows what you could be drinking. El Jimador, Piedra Azul and Espolon are terrific, inexpensive brands. 

7. Triple Sec or orange liqueur - You can go either way on this one. Some triple sec's will be extremely inexpensive, while other brands, like Cointreu or Grand Marnier, can be a bit more expensive. It's up to you to decide what works best for your home bar, but personally, I feel like this is one area where you can get away with being cheap. Marie Brizzard makes a decent middle ground triple sec that can be sipped on it's own, if necessary.

8. Aromatic bitters - One name: Angostura. This is probably the only bitter brand you will need. Take it from someone who has over 200 different types. If you buy the big 16 oz. bottle, you can separate it into three different 5+ oz bottles; one infused with orange peels, another infused with clove and star anise and the last would just be Angostura. Or you can do four 4 oz. bottles and take some cinnamon, vanilla and cherries for a spiced cherry Angostura bitters. If you aren't up for infusing, Angostura are the biggest and most common bitters brand. You can find them at your local liquor or grocery store. If you want other bitter types, I highly recommend a bottle of Peychaud's and  a bottle of orange bitters. 

9. Luxardo Maraschino - This one is the most debatable on this list. I could've gone with Benedictine or even Campari, but think Luxardo Maraschino lends to be a bit more versatile for the home bar as it can be used in many classic stirred and shaken drinks. Also, one bottle can last a really long time. Look for the smaller bottles as the big one may run you close to $30+.

10. Scotch Whisky - You need one decent sipping liquor in your home arsenal and this is the category for that. Depending on your taste and budget, you can go either blended or single malt. There are many blended options out there that are decent. I like Monkey Shoulder as it can be sipped and mixed and is relatively inexpensive. Johnnie Walker is one of the most popular brands and has many different types. Also, look for Bowmore, Macallan 10 or 12 year, Glenmorangie 10 year and Laphroaig 10 year. 

Other bottles to consider:

• One bottle of Amaro - my recommendation would be either be Ramazzotti or Cynar

• Aged Rum - Plantation 5 year is an excellent rum and inexpensive

• Campari - for all your Negroni lovers out there

• Rye whiskey - best bang for your buck is probably Old Overholt, but Rittenhouse would be my go-to

• Benedictine - small amounts work well in stirred drinks