Sharkbaits Cocktail of the Week: Stat Crux Dun Volvitur Orbis

Happy Friday everyone! I’ll bet you’re wondering what this week’s title is. It’s Latin for “The cross is steady while the world turns”. I picked that title for a couple reasons. 1) It’s the motto of the Carthusian monks, AKA the producers of Chartreuse which this week’s drink utilizes. I also picked it because I think some stability is needed lately. Between travel, kids, starting school, nits, and the general state of the world, I could use some stability. Now, I’m not what you would call religious by any means. In fact, I’ll probably get struck by lightning the second I enter a church, but I can appreciate the sentiment of needing a minute and stepping back and taking a breather from reality. /venting session

Now onto upbeat things. It is Friday after all, and I’m looking forward to relaxing a little bit this weekend, and what better way to go into the weekend than with a new cocktail to try! I chose to use a book I’ve often overlooked called Spirits Sugar Water Bitters: How the Cocktail Conquered the World. It’s an excellent book that goes into the history of cocktails and pairs each chapter with recipes originating from the time period being discussed. The Steady Cocktail (original) is featured in the Golden Age (1860s-1910s). In that period classic cocktails are discussed, such as the Manhattan, Martinez, and the Martini, of which the Steady is a derivative of.  I’m interested in the addition of the green chartreuse to see what it brings to the drink

Steady Cocktail (Original)

1.5 oz. Dry gin

1.5 oz. Dry Vermouth

2 dashes Elixir Vegetal de la Grande Chartreuse (Or a scant barspoon of green Chartreuse)

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass or pint glass. Add ice and stir until cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Do not garnish.

I get a slight aroma of the vermouth, but it’s not very strong. I also get a little bit of soft herbal notes too, no doubt from the chartreuse. It’s very nice, and sets up the drink well.

That is a nice, dry martini. I get plenty of oomph from the gin, but the juniper bite is subdued, from the vermouth. Of which, for an ounce and a half of vermouth, it is there, but not strong at all. Its flavors are subtle and well balanced. The Chartreuse on the other hand, is very hard to find in the flavor profile. I think I can pick it up the more I have of this. It’s a subtle earthy flavor it brings. I used the chartreuse on the suggestion of the book since apparently the Elixir Vegetal de la Grande Chartreuse isn’t exported outside of France, so green Chartreuse is the closest to the flavor that brings. Clearly I need another trip to France to get my hands on some of that.

It finishes with a hallmark dry flavor that most martinis feature. It’s excellent and has just enough of a lingering gin/vermouth aftertaste that you want to pace yourself. I liked this twist on a martini, and definitely want to keep it in the repertoire going forward.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)