king george v

1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz White Crème de Cacao
1/2 oz Gin (Ransom Old Tom)
1/2 oz Scotch or Bourbon (Famous Grouse)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. I added a lemon twist.

Two Wednesdays ago, I was browsing our 1972 edition of Trader Vic's Bartender's Guide and came across the King George V again. I had previously skipped over this five part drink, but after thinking about the White Witch which also combines orange liqueur, crème de cacao, and citrus, I was willing to give this one a go. I was not so sure about the split spirit of whiskey and gin, but I figured that the richer flavored Ransom Old Tom would work well. I do regret not using a more robust whiskey, whether Bourbon or Scotch, to make the drink more distinctive, but the Famous Grouse here did no harm.
The King George V greeted me with a lemon aroma colored by cacao and orange liqueur notes, and the sip was citrussy from the lemon juice and Cointreau. Next, the swallow provided chocolate notes and a combination of the lemon's crispness and sharper notes from the Ransom Old Tom Gin poking through. Interestingly, the King George V came across as more chocolaty than the Twentieth Century despite having similar proportions.