Tags
absinthe, benedictine, chartreuse, dry vermouth, pastis, vermouth, vodka
No, I’m not going to talk about the Kangaroo Kicker (aka Vodka Martini), that is gross!
I’m going to talk about the thing vodka does the best: be flavorless. Hence, it will be a good mixer, when you just want to smooth another booze.
Example, pick a real intense flavorful spirit. That one you only use ¼oz, because it’s too potent. Green Chartreuse, Benedictine, Absinthe, Pastis, a heavy peat Scotch…
Vodka lets it play their songs without fighting to show up.
Drink without a Name – Paul Harrington
- 1½oz Vodka
- ¼oz Cointreau
- 1tsp Chartreuse
Stir, strain into chilled cocktail glass. Orange twist.
The same goes true for Dry Vermouth, but besides playing the blank sheet to be painted, it adds its own nuances of herbal complexity.
Chrysanthemum
- 1½oz Dry Vermouth
- ¾oz Benedictine
- 1tsp Absinthe
Stir, strain into chilled cocktail glass. Orange twist.
Another example, really similar to the Chrysanthemum is
Gypsy Queen
- 2oz Vodka
- 1oz Benedictine
- 1ds Angostura bitters
Stir, strain into chilled cocktail glass. Lemon twist.
Vodka adds an alcoholic kick, while Dry Vermouth tends to soften the alcoholic content.
So, next time you are facing and liquor that is too strong on it’s own, try to ease it down with vermouth or vodka.
Bartending Notes 