Gloom Raiser

Stevi August 31, 2009 Absinthe, Cocktails, Gin, Recipes, Vermouth 1 Comment

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I was paging through the delightful Barflies and Cocktails by Harry McElhone, one of the wonderful reprints by Mud Puddle Books. Amongst all the wonderful illustrations by Wynn Holcomb, I found a variation on the martini that was new to me.

Gloom Raiser

Gloom Raiser

Gloom Raiser

1.5 ounces London dry gin
0.75 ounces dry vermouth
2 dashes absinthe (I prefer a white over verte here)
2 dashes grenadine

stir and strain into cocktail glass, garnish with lemon twist.

This is a great variation to my tastes. It takes the venerable dry martini and adds just enough absinthe for that wonderful anise scent and a hint of taste, and just enough grenadine for just a little sweetness.

I tried this with both a blanche (Kubler) and verte (Pacifique) absinthe, and found the blanche worked a bit better. The Kubler brought a great balance while the Pacifique, even at just 2 dashes, wanted to assert itself too strongly in this mix.

In the spirit of Harry’s New York bar, still located at 5 Rue Daonou in Paris, I used Citadelle, a French-made gin.

This cocktail is another great example of how just a little bit of a strong ingredient can change a cocktail for the better.

Related posts:

  1. Welcome Stranger Cocktail
  2. Make Your Own Grenadine
  3. The Campari Dolce
  4. MxMo XLVI: Absinthe — The Atlantic
  5. MxMo XXXI: 19th Century Cocktails — Plain, Fancy, and Improved Gin Cocktail

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One Response to “Gloom Raiser”

  1. scomorokh said:

    Nov 21, 09 at 4:40 am

    My Gloom Raiser I mix with Pernod – classic absinthe substitute. Also I squeeze essential oil of lemon peel over cocktail (similar to Dry Martini). The results are perfect! In my opinion the Gloom Raiser is gobsmacked cocktail.

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