Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: En Garde!

Hello and happy Friday yet again. This week I finally got around to making a drink I’ve always seemed to be one or two ingredients short every time I go to make it. It’s called the Lucien Gaudin Cocktail.

Who was Lucien Gaudin? According to the Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails book (where I found this recipe) he was a pretty badass and dominant fencer in the early part of the twentieth century, winning 2 gold medals in the 1924 Olympics, and two more in 1928. I can see where being an international Rockstar (as much as one could be in the late 1920s) would get you a drink named after you. Unfortunately, nobody is sure why this particular mix was named after him. I like to think he walked into a bar and demanded it be made, while brandishing his épée. One can dream right?

Lucien Gauidn

1 oz. Gin

.5 oz. Cointreau

.5 oz. Campari

.5 oz. Dry Vermouth

Stir in mixing glass with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

The Campari is the most noticeable on the nose. The bitter aroma cuts through any vermouth and gin notes, but doesn’t overpower the senses. The orange smell from the Cointreau doesn’t stand a chance against the bitter liqueur. Though the other ingredients do a heroic job in preventing the Campari from total aroma domination.

The sip starts out heavy on the Campari. Almost too much. The Cointreau then really comes and mixes in providing a bitter/orange flavor that I will say works rather well. Those flavors continue to harmonize most of the way through the sip until the end when the Cointreau fades away and the gin notes finally start to make their presence known. The Campari is a constant all the way through the entire sip. The intensity never changes, even with the other flavors ebbing and flowing across the palate. The finish is a bitter mix of Campari and juniper from the gin. There is a bit of a coat left behind by the sip that lingers for a good fifteen to twenty seconds after you finish.

I’m a little surprised by this one to be honest. It is essentially a negroni with dry vermouth and orange liqueur. But it is so much more than that. For one (as mentioned above) the Campari really is the star of the show, so if you’re on the fence about it, maybe skip this one. The orange plays well in the limited exposure the flavor gets, and the gin is, well gin. It rounds out the flavor adding depth and complexity. I would recommend this as a pre-dinner drink, preferably early in the evening.

(Banner image found here)