The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess
Recipe
21st Century
- rinse cocktail glass with absinthe
- 1 1/2 oz Hornitos Plata Tequila
- 3/4 oz lemon juice
- 3/4 oz creme de cacao
shake with ice
strain into a cocktail glass
21st Century
The 20th Century cocktail has been around for… well… about a century. Isn’t it time we had something a little more up-to-date? Jim Meehan, of PDT in New York City, felt the same way, and so he came up with this delightful variation that is well worth trying. I appreciate it because it uses tequila, and I personally think the world needs a few more good tequila cocktail recipes.
Comments
Rather apropos considering that Tequila has supplanted Gin in recent years. The 20th century has been on my “A” list for awhile, I’ll have to give this one a try.
By the way Robert, I like the idea of using an atomizer for the absinthe rinse. Any particular brand you’d recommend?
Cheers!
Blair
For an absinthe rinse, I’d recommend going with a good quality Absinthe, like one from the Jade lineup, or Marteau, or Pacifique. Since you’re only using a small amount, you might as well go with the good stuff! :->
Wow! This is a fantastic cocktail. Each ingredient asserts itself at a different point time and a different place in your mouth. Really fun. I wouldn’t have guessed that tequila, chocolate, and licorice flavors would play so well together.
Mr. M. Farm,
There is a new chocolate infused tequila that you may want to try. You can read my review at GoodSpiritsNews.spaces.live.com
Cheers!
Blair Frodelius
I don’t know, what can I say? ... Eeew!
Somehow this just doesn’t work for me. That combination of flavors somehow collides rather than mixes harmoniously. Maybe something went wrong with my combination of ingredients, but I can’t see myself making another one.
Sorry. Not everything can be a winner for everyone I guess.
Ian, not all cocktails are going to appeal to everybody, so it could be that this cocktail just isn’t for you. However some cocktails are also less forgiving in how their ingredients are put together than others are. This reminds me of the “Floridita” cocktail (http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video) which also includes creme de cacao. That cocktail, when properly prepared, is one that I often refer to as my “Cosmo Killer”, in that folks who might otherwise blindly order cosmo, after cosmo, after cosmo, will find to be a wonderful alternative. However, if you aren’t careful with the ingredients, it can be downright nasty.
With the 21st Century, make sure you aren’t getting too much absinthe into the mix, nor getting the cacao/juice mixture out of whack. But again, it could just be thta this drink isn’t your style.
An interesting range of opinions. Well, Im off to source a good white/silver tequila this evening before my shift. So, armed with this, I shall attempt both the 21st Century cocktail and the Diablo. I shall let you know my thoughts.
What an interesting drink. Absinthe in the nose, lemon and tequila on the initial taste, and a mild finish of chocolate. When I made this, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I quite like it.
Very surprising!
This is a bit funny.. Well, at least I found it funny.
I didn’t have absinthe, nor did I have tequila. I decided that substituting absinthe with linieaquavit for the anise/herbal dash, and tequila with cuban rum, would be fine.
Then when I got to the kitchen I had a brain fart and juiced a lime instead of a lemon. So I pretty much made a cocktail with these proportions, but with Havana Club blanco, lime juice, creme de cacao and aquavit to wash the glass. Pretty much an entirely wrong drink.
It isn’t too bad though!