The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess
Recipe
Derby
- 2 oz Maker's Mark Bourbon
- 1/4 oz Benedictine
- dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
stir with ice
strain into a cocktail glass
garnish with lemon twist
Derby
Benedictine is one of those products which often is gathering dust at most bars across the country. Typically they will even have just a bottle of "B&B" instead of Benedictine, which only shows that they don't really know how to use this product. So I am always on the lookout for great cocktails which can illustrate the value that Benedictine can bring to a drink. There are a few different cocktails going by the name of "Derby", but the version I show here is one which I think is an excellent drink to introduce people to the potential that Benedictine provides.
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Comments
I really enjoy benedictine with Rye and Bourbon. It works well as a replacement for rich simple syrup in drinks like a Mint Julep for instance.
Here in New York State, we are lucky to have Benedictine readily available. One thing we can’t find is Amer Picon, but that’s anther story altogether.
Cheers!
Robert,
My guess is that in your travels you’re able to acquire a bottle of Benedictine here and there when needed. I say this because I really love the stuff and if here in AZ it wasn’t available due to the whim of some bureaucrat I’d be enraged! All those great bars in the Seattle area, do they have to go buy it in Portland?
It’s a great ingredient! I love the Vieux Carre and La Louisiane you introduced me to via The Cocktail Spirit. Also, the Bulls Manahattan by Dale Degroff is a fantastic use of Benedictine.
I shall try the Derby, like it, and savor each bottle of Benedictine.
Thanks
Garretto
Bars here in WA can still “Special Order” Benedictine, although they either have to order an entire case, or wait until there are enough “Special Orders” from other bars stacked up so their store can order a case. There are some bizzaro laws up here.
I fortunately picked up a couple bottles when I heard they were “delisting” it, and I also know how to use my web-browser, so it won’t be difficult to restock when I run out :->
I am familiar with this “web-browser” you speak of. This is where AZ laws get “bizarro.”
My family tried to ship some wine to us from a winery out of state and they had to ship it to a liquor store for us to pick up, they couldn’t ship it directly to our door.
For this reason I have never considered (or had the need to due to the availability of most booze) ordering liquor on line. This law may have changed for all I know.
It is bizarro that in WA you can have booze delivered to your door via mail, but can’t pick up a bottle of gin at the grocery store.
Glad to hear you have a convenient method of acquiring your Benedictine.
You certainly have better bars in your neck of the woods regardless of the State’s grip.
Thanks Robert!
I enjoyed this one, but in fairness I am already a big fan of ‘monastery’ liqueurs. I also love the Derby variation found in Ted Haigh’s fantastic book ‘Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails’ which he in turn sourced from Trader Vic’s ‘Bartender’s Guide’ (1947 version).
This one employs (I’ve adpated it slightly):
1 oz Bourbon
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz orange curacao
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
and 1 mint leaf thrown in the shaker.
Shake & Strain into a chilled coupette garnish with a ‘slapped’ mint leaf. Delicious!
Hello Robert,
I know the same recipe (just 1/2oz of simple syrup more) called a American Sazerac, i drank this cocktail and the original sazerac, with cognac(many time, maybe too many to be in thesame nite), the original has no rivals!!!!
By the way i know a recipe for a derby cocktail:
2 dash Peach bitter
2 spring fresh mint
1 glass (50ml) Dry
Shake and Strain in cocktail glass (Henry Craddock, The Savoy cocktail book)
or
The Brown Derby cocktail
50ml Bourbon
25ml Fresh Grapefruit juice
10ml Honey Water
Shake n Strain into cocktail Glass(The craft of the cocktail, Dale DeGroff)
i didn’t try ur recipe yet but i will soon, i love MAKER’S MARK
Great drink!
I also think that fresh rosemary and cardamom (tincture) play very well with Benedictine. Give it a try, I recommend!
Cheers!
Tony
Holding Bourbon as a favourite, whilst still not having found the perfect cocktail to truly appreciate Benedictine, I am very excited by this drink. Maybe this will open my eyes to such a historic product. Celebrating its 500th year, its definately one I would like to be using more frequently.
Robert and Co., I feel your pain! I’m up in Ontario, Canada and whoever runs our government-run liquor stores should be FIRED! I’ve been harassing them for a year and they JUST stocked Luxardo Maraschino! Hahaha!