Sharkbaits Cocktail of the Week: La Marseillaise

Happy Friday and hello new banner image for the weekly drink post. As I mentioned last week, I took a trip to Chicago with my old college roommates on a whim since we all turned 40 relatively close to each other and decided to do something fun. Much fun was indeed had in the city of Chicago. Between finding a dive bar open at 7am, meeting up with the one and only Doktor Zymm, and enjoying live music and sporting events, good times were had. The jazz we saw at the Green Mill was excellent, and I thought it was time to retire the Atomic Lounge banner, as great of an establishment that is.

Now, on to the drink this week, which has absolutely nothing to do with the city of Chicago, or any place in this country actually. It’s called the Marseilles Rhum. It’s a twist on a Last Word, but using rhum agricole from the Caribbean. Martinique specifically in my case. I’m challenged to use the rhum I brought back home from St. Martin. So finding this application, I jumped at the chance to do something a little bit different, and try something that I assume will be tasty and refreshing.

Marseilles Rhum

3/4 ounce rhum agricole, such as Barbancourt 4-year rhum) (I used La Perle 1710)

3/4 ounce Bénédictine

3/4 ounce Green Chartreuse

3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed

Fill an ice-filled shaker tin with rhum, liqueurs, and lime juice and shake until well chilled. Double strain through a fine mesh strainer into a Nick & Nora cocktail glass.

Slight lime aroma, with some sweet benedictine mixed in there as well. Some hints of chartreuse come through as well. It’s very floral, and slightly earthy in nature.

Not as intense as I would have expected with the rhum agricole and the chartreuse in there. I get a mixture of chartreuse and the benedictine almost immediately, with the lime juice coming in to give a nice sour counterbalance to the flavor profile. I actually thought I under poured the lime, given that I was eyeballing the .75 ounce pours. But I think I nailed the amount of lime. I fear any more would make this too sour for my liking. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very refreshing, and I could easily see myself drinking this on a beach in the French Caribbean and enjoying one. The finish is a touch of the chartreuse mixed with the lime. It has a little lingering sour aftertaste, but it dissipates rather quickly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Especially as a vehicle to utilize my Rhum agricole, which can be hard to feature in a drink sometimes. I’m glad I came across this and most definitely will be making this more in the summer.

(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)