Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Napoleon Complex

Happy first full Autumn day. At least it’s a Friday and we can enjoy the (hopefully) cooler season. Don’t get me wrong, I love the summer and much prefer the beach to skiing, but this past one seemed particularly oppressive. Plus, Fall is by far the best drinking season with a wider variety of cocktails and beers becoming more appropriate to imbibe.

Having said all that, this week’s cocktail is more of a year rounder, but would be more suited for the summer. I’m using the Dubonnet I got for last week’s Dubonnet and Gin, but this week, I’m making a Napoleon. It looks like a fairly straightforward cocktail to make, and it seems easy enough to make. Let’s try it!

Napoleon

2 oz. gin
.5 oz. Dubonnet Rouge
.5 oz. Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur
1 dash orange bitters
crushed ice

Fill half of a shaker with ice. Add the Dubonnet, the gin, the orange liqueur, and the bitters. Shake until the mix is chilled. Strain it into the Martini glass.

The nose has hints of wine up front. Nothing super strong, but it’s there. I can also get some citrus/orange notes in there as well. Initially, I didn’t get any of the gin, however letting it sit for a minute or two and going back in for another smell, I can start to pick out the signature gin aromas.

The flavor profile is quite interesting. The sip starts off sweet, and maintains that for a couple seconds before slowly turning slightly sour that it carries all the way to the finish. The Dubonnet loses most of the wine flavors in this application, but I get the sense that it wasn’t supposed to bring a wine-y type of flavor to the party. It acts as a counterbalance to the gin and the orange. Even with the sweet wine acting in the aforementioned sweetener role, the gin does shine through eventually. It’s hard to completely mask gin, and the dubonnet does it’s best.

The orange liqueur, while not Grand Marnier, still works. Cointreau is more inherently bitter than Grand Marnier, so that plus the addition of the orange bitters adds just enough bitterness to have it carry through the back half of the sip and linger on the palate for a few seconds. However it quickly dissipates which I approve of.

I did enjoy this. It was different than what I expected. I think I’ve got a hit of a new ingredient in the Dubonnet. The above resource has a few more recipes I definitely want to give a try.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)

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Sharkbait
Sharkbait has not actually been bitten by a shark, but has told people in bars that he was for free drinks. Married to a Giants fan, he enjoys whisk(e)y, cooking, the Rangers, and the Patriots.
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Don T

In the spirit of diversity, Imma send some local stuff your way this week, S.
And for everyone else pending mail from me, DM the date I promised remittance for a custom-made white guilt trip!

Don T

Behold! The glory and magick of Elecktricitie
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BrettFavresColonoscopy

Btw, quasi related, i have one of those mini oak barrels i got as a gift; should I throw bulleit into that or something better? Shittier?

SonOfSpam

Pruno or Pappy. Nothing in between.

SonOfSpam

Never tried it. Probably just Seagrams in a fancy-ass bottle.

LemonJello

The Lady LemonJello and I are going on a Mediterranean cruise in a few weeks – I’m making a list of Cocktails of the Week to try, since we got the deluxe beverage package (duh) and I want to try different drinks, and see if I can stump and of the bartenders.

The Napoleon is definitely on the list.

Horatio Cornblower

Some friends of ours are doing a cruise through the eastern Mediterranean next summer, (assuming there are cruises, or for that matter an eastern Mediterranean next summer), and are trying to get us to go along.

More power to people who love cruises, but they are not for me at all. But I hope yours is goo

ah, shit.

captain-phillips-boat-hijack.gif
LemonJello

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We’re doing the western Med – last time I was there, it was as Combat Cargo courtesy of the US Navy’s 6th Fleet.

Last edited 2 years ago by LemonJello
Horatio Cornblower

Probably not much chance of piracy when the US Navy is rolling through.

Although I suspect the cocktail choices aren’t as good.

Gumbygirl

I’ve done enough big cruises. But I would do one of those European river cruises on a small boat. The rivers are all dried up now, guess that won’t be happening. Thanks, Obama!

King Hippo

Don’t forget to pick up an extra liver on one of your excursions, eh?

BrettFavresColonoscopy

REMEMBER THE MAINE!

Not just because it’s my favorite but also to see how they react to ordering a drink about a shipwreck while you’re on a ship.

Game Time Decision

On our last cruise, like 5 years ago, they kept playing Tsunami By DVBBS.
Yes I giggled every time I heard it.

Horatio Cornblower

“Why are they showing ‘The Poseidon Adventure’ in the main theater every night?”

Gumbygirl

There’s got to be a morning after.

Game Time Decision

I need to borrow this list for my cruise in 2 years.

2Pack

The Med is docile. Avoid the western Indian Ocean and you can sing all the pirate songs you want in your cabins tiny shower, safe and sound. Ah Hoooyyyyy!!!

Horatio Cornblower

I’m more worried about catching Legionnaire’s disease.

Game Time Decision

*Lemonaires Disease