This was a very important cocktail in my personal development as a bartender.
In 2008 a friend introduced me to St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, and it was a moment that froze in my memory. This liqueur, I was certain, was going to change the bartending world.
It is on its own delicious, and easy to drink.
What became very evident, though, was how malleable the elderflower is with a variety of base spirits: Everything mixes with Vodka, because Vodka is simply void of character and relies on other components to make any kind of a real contribution to the world of taste.
But what became quite obvious was that this liqueur was going to mix very well with Gin, Rum, Cachaca, Whiskey, Champagne, White Wine, Tequila. It could be inserted into classics effortlessly: the Mojito, the Margarita, a Tom Collins, a Champagne Cocktail.
This liqueur, I decided, in 20 years will have a greater market share in the U.S. than Grand Marnier holds in the present day. Quite a declaration, and quite a Liqueur.
The first drink that I found it has the truest harmony with, is a drink composed by a NYC bartender named Don Lee at a famous bar called PDT.
He called it the drink “Vieux Mot.” And that was my favorite drink for a year or so.
Only problem was that the St. Germain was not available for sale in Arkansas. So I began a campaign to have the local distributors bring it in–A campaign not too dissimilar to a campaign I might have waged as an 11-year-old for a specific Christmas present.
About a year after the campaign began, the first shipment of St. Germain arrived in Arkansas in Summer of 2009.
Recollecting the Vieux Mot from the Summer before, I began tinkering with it a little, substituting this for that, and really working on the cocktail to see if there was a better version out there.
What I ended up with was not altogether different: The gin changed from Plymouth to Tanqueray Rangpur. The Citrus remained unchanged with Lemon Juice, always Fresh. The Simple Syrup from the recipe was removed.
Bitters were added, first Fee Brothers Rhubarb, then Fee Brothers Grapefruit. This past summer, Bitter Truth Grapefruit was used in the Capital Bar in this drink.
The truth on these bitters is that they are all wonderful in the St. Edwards, it just depends on personal preference. Grapefruit is more in harmony with the Germain. Rhubarb really takes over the drink and showcases itself more with the Germain more in the background.
The Bitter Truth removes a little of the sweetness from the Germain, while keeping the aromatics of the grapefruit essence. The Bitter Truth, of course, is not available in Arkansas-yet.
On the Cocktail list, the St. Edwards No. 1 uses the Grapefruit Bitters and St. Edwards No. 2 uses the Rhubarb. Both are available year-round regardless of which one is listed.
-Lee Edwards, CBG
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Both of the St Edwards cocktails sound very cool. I’ll have to try them next time I visit Little Rock.
BTW, have you ever experimented with Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine?
It’s a small batch bourbon you might find it very interesting. I enjoy it in milk punch. It has hints of vanilla and sweetness to it that might do well in your horchata cocktail.
http://www.catdaddymoonshine.com/airpress/wp-content/plugins/age-verification/age-verification.php?redirect_to=http://www.catdaddymoonshine.com%2F
Check out the winning Catdaddy Bar Chef Challenge recipies at http://www.catdaddymoonshine.com/barchefchallenge/
Are you able to share your proportions for this drink for those too far from Little Rock to visit CBG? I’ve found three different Vieux Mot recipes, and though I find that personal experimentation yields the best results, I’m interested in what proportions have served you well.
CBG’s cocktail menu is a thing of beauty, by the way. What a great mix of modern recipes and classics!