Final Benediction
Cross-posting from Verb and Tonic, where I also write about cocktails.
Ingredients
- 1 oz London dry gin
- 1 oz Benedictine DOM
- 1 oz Cointreau
- 1 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Stir over ice for 30 seconds (dilution is essential). Strain into a chilled 5 oz coup. Serve up.
Tell Me More
The drink is essentially a spin on a Last Word, a classic early 20th century cocktail composed of equal parts gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice.
The name is a nod to the classic cocktail that it is based on, as well as its origin. A benediction is a request for divine help. This variant was born in the darkest days of the coronavirus pandemic when even liquor stores were closed. I wanted a Last Word but didn’t have all of the ingredients, so I had to improvise.
The drink substitutes the green chartreuse for Benedictine DOM, which is similarly complex, strong, and monastic (they were each created by a French monk). Be careful not to use B&B, or Benedictine & Brandy, which is easier to find but considerably less interesting.
It also subs the maraschino liqueur for Cointreau. The first iteration of the drink used generic triple sec, which was way too sweet and much too weak. Triple sec still works in a pinch. But Cointreau is considerably drier and stronger, at 40% abv, and ended up being exactly what was needed to balance this off.
Having chosen Cointreau as the substitute for maraschino liqueur, we trade lemon juice for lime. In this context, lemon juice pairs better with the orange flavor of Cointreau. It also amplifies and brightens the golden color of the drink.
Be sure to stir over ice for a full 30 seconds. This is a stiff drink. 3 of the 4 ingredients are 40% abv. Without the ~1 oz of water added by dilution the alcohol would be overpowering.