Maraschino liqueur

last word

The Last Word is an interesting example of a cocktail that had apparently only regional popularity following its original debut during Prohibition, but that has become a favorite internationally in recent years.

This drink was reportedly introduced by the bartenders at the Detroit Athletic Club in the early 1920s. Two of its four ingredients are “luxury” liqueurs that are in the present day relatively hard to find and relatively expensive. I don’t know whether all three of these characteristics held in those days, but it’s probably a fair bet that Detroit’s proximity to Canada and the Great Lakes, as well as its prosperity during its happy years as a center of car production, had something to do with the fact that an illegal saloon would have access to these ingredients. It’s doubtful that Chartreuse or Maraschino Liqueur would have been available or affordable in much of the country, explaining the drink’s limited popularity at that time.

In any case, it’s a pleasing concoction. Nobody I’ve served it to has had anything but good things to say about it.

The Last Word:

1 part gin

1 part green Chartreuse

1 part Maraschino Liqueur

1 part fresh lime juice

Shake on ice, serve straight up. No garnish needed. How big a “part” is can depend on your tolerance and goals for the evening (some recipes say 1/2 oz. each, others 3/4 oz. each, others don’t specify).

Cheers!

Share and Enjoy:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google Bookmarks

{ 0 comments }

Homemade Gift: Brandied Cherries

by Jen on December 23, 2010

I’m a big fan of the homemade gifts. Last year I gave my boyfriend’s mom a crocheted fish-shaped pot holder (she acted like she loved it!) and the other three members of Will’s family personalized crocheted beer cozies. That raised a lot of eyebrows, and I imagine they haven’t gotten much use this past year, but my heart was in the right place. Even they would admit that!

This year Will and I have been inspired by our new found love of all thing cocktails, my new interest in canning, and our desire to keep presents as inexpensive as possible. This year, our family is receiving one of our first batch of brandied cherries.

Our love affair with Maraschino cherries started last year when we learned that the red swollen sugary cherries that we grew up with in our Shirley Temples are not the traditional Maraschino cherries. No, Maraschino cherries are cherries that are soaked in Maraschino liquor, an Italian aperitif flavored with the ground seeds of cherries from Marasca. The ones we have been served are soaked in tons of preservatives, high fructose corn syrup and red dye. During the high tide of the Temperance movement, anti-alcohol enthusiasts campaigned to have the original, liquor-soaked cherries banned. They won, and ever since the original cherries have been lost to American culture. We managed to find a bottle at a high-end grocery store near our house, and fell in love.

But at a price tag of $16 a bottle, we instantly recognized the need to find a more affordable solution. Why not make them ourselves?

We followed this recipe from the Gourmet Foodie Blog. Or, rather, we tried to. Embarking on this journey in December meant that we didn’t have access to affordable fresh cherries, and had to use dried ones. It also meant that even though the cherries would be presented on Christmas, they wouldn’t be ready for consumption until March. But they’ll be better for all that time spent steeping in yummy brandy and Maraschino.

Our first try yielded disappointing results.

Our first time we canned with our friends Anthony and Nicole. Without the proper equipment and any previous experience, we unfortunately sealed the jars (accomplished by boiling the jars for 12 minutes, a process that allows the lid to create a food-safe seal with the jar) on their side. In three out of four, the brandy escaped during the sealing process, and we were left with nothing but cherries and sugar in a sealed jar. But at least we got the seals correctly created. Apparently, that can be a challenge when canning.

A couple weeks later we tried again. This time we knew not to let the jars fall on their sides during the boiling process.

The resulting jars of brandied cherries looked good, but had a layer of sugar that did not mix with the brandy. Next time, we will use simple syrup (sugar dissolved in water).

Happy with these results (and out of cherries and jars!) I finished the gift off with a scrap of my torn skinny jeans and our Lushes in Love label.

I estimate that each jar cost us a mere $3 in materials, despite our using a dash of the expensive Maraschino liquor and a high end brandy. We surmised that all you need is a dash of Maraschino liquor to make the entire batch have its delicious taste. We have noticed that any drink we make with Maraschino liquor tastes just like Maraschino liquor.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google Bookmarks

{ 0 comments }

The Aviation

by Will on October 21, 2010

This is a cocktail that practiced and worldly connoisseurs will often name as their favorite. I’ve served it to a number of guests and they almost always are wildly enthusiastic about it.

1 1/2 oz. gin

1/4 oz. Maraschino liqueur

1/8 oz. creme de violette

1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake or stir, serve straight up with a cherry garnish

Now, two of those ingredients are rare and somewhat pricey. Most people don’t just have them sitting around. But I can assure you that if you buy a bottle of each, they will last you a very long time. Both liqueurs have such forceful flavors that they can only be used in tiny amounts. Also, the gin needs to be a fairly smooth, flowery gin like Beefeater, not a spicy gin like Hendrick’s.

The cocktail’s origins are obscure. It seems to have had the misfortune of being invented right before Prohibition, and thus it did not really establish itself the way that martinis and Manhattans had been able to. I have evidence that the aviation is now making a comeback, though, as the bartenders at the fancy places nearby are familiar with the recipe. I hope the trend continues.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google Bookmarks

{ 0 comments }