Sharkbait’s Cocktail of the Week: Oh Captain My Captain

Happy Hate Week Friday everyone! There is slow and steady progress in unpacking. Mostly the method has been “where the fuck is X?” and we go searching through various boxes in order to find said missing item. I took that same approach this week and made it a mission to find my cocktail books.

I found them on Wednesday! Well, most of them I forgot I brought some to the Cape when we spent Christmas down there and decided to leave them until after we moved…

Either way, I have my library back, and I’m ready to mix up a Skipper, from the Waldorf Astoria Bar Book:

Skipper

2 oz. G’Vine Floraison Gin

.5 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

.25 oz. Fresh lemon juice

.25 oz. Fresh orange juice

.25 oz. Grenadine

1 dash Orange Bitters

add all ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry

The main aroma I notice right off the bat is the maraschino liqueur. That sticks out the most, which isn’t exactly a surprise. That is a powerful liqueur, both in flavor intensity and smell. A couple more nosings and I start to detect a couple more scents: mainly the orange juce, and maybe hint of lemon mixed in there as well.

The first sip starts out very smooth. It is well balanced, but then it gives way to a slightly sour/bitter finish. The latter flavor profile I assume comes from the 1-2 punch of lemon and orange juice, not to mention the orange bitters.
The gin is interesting as a base. I can’t exactly taste it right off the bat, but it is buried in the flavors. I can detect a hint of the juniper and other telltale gin flavors underneath the maraschino and the juices. One thing of note. As mentioned above, the recipe calls for Floraison gin, which is a mild flavored gin from France. Much different than the London Dry I used here. However, I don’t think the London Dry affects the drink negatively. Sure the Floraison might be a touch milder and give the drink a softer mouth feel, but this is by no means undrinkable. I don’t think it detracts much at all.

I do like how the acids in the lemon and orange juice really hold back the over sweet flavor of the grenadine. That is a powerful ingredient that could easily take over and ruin the flavor balance here, but its is wonderfully held in check by those two flavors.

This is a solid early evening/pre dinner drinker. I would definitely try it again with the proper gin to see what kind of effect that has on the overall flavor. But go ahead and make it with London dry too.

(Banner image found here)