crossing to calais

1 3/4 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
1 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quinquina
1/2 oz Cherry Heering
1 barspoon Combier Triple Sec (Cointreau)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Fridays ago for a nightcap, I made Misty Kalkofen’s Martinez variation that I had found on TastingTable.  The other Martinez variation that Misty proffered was the Armadawhich I had tried at Drink.  Crossing to Calais is perhaps a reference of how the drink is a combination of British and French styled ingredients; Calais is the destination across the English Channel where the Dover ferry lands.

 The Crossing to Calais presented a lemon oil and Ransom Old Tom Gin’s spice aroma with a hint of cherry from the Heering.  The Cherry Heering’s sweetness combined with the Bonal’s grape on the sip, and the swallow began with the gin’s spice and ended with a dry cherry flavor.  As for a Martinez variation, I could see how Cherry Heering and Bonal combined to simulate sweet vermouth; however, the triple sec seemed to fall short of what Maraschino donates to a Martinez.  Overall, this was a delightful cocktail regardless of its genesis.

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.se/2012/06/crossing-to-calais.html