Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: The Need For a Deep Bench

Hello and welcome to yet another inside Friday. It’s week 3 of social distancing; hopefully supplies of food and liquor remain high. I’m certainly looking to make the most of my stash, mostly because I’m trying to limit my trips outside for errands.  Looking at my “bench”, I found a long forgotten bottle of Canton, a ginger liqueur. I knew this was going to be a feature this week

I decided to look for a cocktail that could pair the Canton with some tequila, after speaking with my dad earlier in the week about different tequilas we both enjoyed. Unfortunately, no cocktail book I own offered me an option here (though I do have more ideas for later, once I replenish my bar stock), so I turned to the all-knowing Google to give me guidance. It did not disappoint. I found the “Yin & Yang“. Oddly named, but I have all the ingredients for it so why not? Let’s mix:

1.5 oz Tequila (I used Espolon)
.5 oz Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur
.5 oz Sweet vermouth
2 dashes Orange bitters
Lime twist for garnish

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir with ice to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with the expressed zest of a lime twist.

What’s that old saying? If it looks like a tequila shot & smells like a tequila shot? Well, this is completely the opposite of that. It certainly smells like it should be more tequila forward than it is. If you closed your eyes and nosed the glass, you would think you had a shot glass filled with tequila sitting in front of you, with a lime perched on the shot glass. Even how it looks now, it looks like a cocktail glass with just gold tequila in there doesn’t it?

The sip is tequila forward, but it mellows out shortly thereafter. The Canton gives the drink a very nice depth. It helps reign in the tequila, and being a ginger liqueur, it plays very nicely with the lime garnish. The vermouth gives a sweet undertone throughout the entire sip. It never dominates the flavor palate. It knows its place as a backup singer in this harmony and executes well.

I can see this being a good call once the weather in the Northeast starts warming up. Although I would like to try it over over crushed ice. I think that could be even more refreshing than what the drink already is.

This drink is certainly a one and done. There is nothing in this but straight booze so it is very strong. However I would also say that it is pleasantly boozy. It doesn’t taste like you’re drinking pure lighter fluid.

I still don’t know why it is called the Yin & Yang. Either way, it is delicious and should be made if you’ve got some Canton and tequila in your bar.

(Banner image found here)