26) Sapin

1.5 oz. Plymouth Gin
.5 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur
.5 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
.5 oz. Lemon Juice

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Shake, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

I am a lazy man. A lazy, lazy man. Ed knows this, and respects my ability to lay in bed for extended periods of time. That doesn't mean, however, that he's content to sit around the bar waiting for me to show up so we can get to making the cocktails. As a man of great discretion he chooses the subtle arts over blatant violence when it comes to motivating me. So it was that, as I was watching a French movie revolving around the kidnapping of the pope by ghouls, I received a text from Ed - "We've got Canton and the Yellow Chartreuse finally showed up".

That got my attention, and sounded a wee bit more interesting than a French transvestite trying to save the pope from the forces of evil, so I marshaled my internal resources and headed off, my mind full of possibilities.

Canton is a new Cognac based ginger liqueur - The first time I tried it I was a bit fearful as I expected it to be some sort of sweet ginger tongue curling hellwater. I was pleasantly surprised by it's even balance and not too liberal use of the ginger flavors. Using Gin as the base seemed like a no brainer for Ed and I. While I would certainly like to see how the Canton would make overtures towards Whisky or Tequila, we really wanted to give the Canton a chance to take more of a center stage. The yellow Chartreuse was mild enough to not overwhelm the Canton or the botanicals of the Gin, but still add a nice undertone of spice to contract with the mild tartness of the lemon.

Ed and I really liked this drink. The four ingredients made for a nice overall flavor, but the Canton was indeed able to take the spotlight. Notes of honey hit first then gave way to a slightly spicy notes at the back of the tongue. If I'm not mistaken (which, if history is any guide, I probably am) Canton is currently in limited release but should be widely available before the end of the year. If you can find a bottle, I'd highly recommend picking some up and giving it a try.

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