Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Crowning Achievements

Happy Friday, Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby weekend! Normally in this space this time of year and especially this weekend, I’d get creative making my own, or finding some obscure bourbon cocktail I can make to tie into the Derby, or some off the wall tequila cocktail for Cinco de Mayo. However this time is a bit different. There is a rather important ceremony going on across the pond Saturday morning. Regardless of your feelings about the Royal Family, it is a rather historical event, and one that I will be watching because I’m a sucker for events like this. Plus the way that family lives who knows when the next opportunity will come.

So, in honor of the occasion, I dug out the Waldorf Astoria Bar Book to break out a recipe I’ve been saving since the Queen died in September. The (aptly named) King Charles:

1.5 oz. Greenhook Ginsmiths Old Tom gin (I used Gordons)

.5 oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur

1 dash Regans’ Orange Bitters #6

4 oz. chilled club soda

Add spirits and bitters to Collins glass. Fill with large ice cubes. Add chilled club soda and stir to integrate. Garnish with orange peel, lemon peel, and brandied cherry

The only scent I can get off the top is the maraschino liqueur and a touch of orange from the bitters. There should be a little more orange I think, but my oranges went south and had to 86 the lot of them, so no secondary garnish with the lemon, but c’est la vie.

So this is an interesting highball. The flavor consistent all the way through, with mostly the maraschino liqueur really standing out. Of which, Frank Caiafa says the original recipe had more maraschino liqueur than what was called for. He scaled it down and I agree that it was the right call. The 4 ounces of soda is really the great equalizer (or neutralizer) of this. Since this is technically a cooler, the soda does it’s job well. It reduces the booze kick and checks the maraschino. This makes it extremely drinkable, bordering on the dangerously delicious category. You cannot taste the gin in here at all. Which for me is a slight setback in my opinion, but only just so. Again, that is just my personal preference for stronger drinks. Your mileage may vary.

So yeah. This is good. Is it my absolute favorite? No, but I think that’s due to the aforementioned deference to stronger tasting drinks, as well as the fact that I’m enjoying this on a 55ish degree rainy day. So a cooler isn’t exactly something I’m craving for an alcoholic beverage at the moment. But, it works and is tasty. Which is all you can ask for in a cocktail.

GSTK!

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)