snake in the grass

1/4 Gin (1/2 oz Death's Door)
1/4 Cointreau (1/2 oz)
1/4 Dry Vermouth (1/2 oz Noilly Prat)
1/4 Lemon Juice (1/2 oz)

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. I added a lemon twist (an orange twist would probably work well here too).

After the Mute Appeal, I began to flip through the pages of the Café Royal Cocktail Book and found the Snake in the Grass. The recipe reminded me of a Chelsea Sidecar or an egg white-free White Lady with dry vermouth in the mix, or perhaps a drier version of the Dover or an absinthe-free Corpse Reviver #2.
The Snake in the Grass began with an lemon oil aroma that led into a citrus sip that was complemented by the dry vermouth's wine note. While the sip was more lemony, the orange flavor was stronger in the citrus swallow that was punctuated by a medley of gin botanical notes. Andrea commented that the drink was "very lemony and bracing," and the dry vermouth definitely took the drink in a different direction than the Chelsea Sidecar. With the drink's acidity and lighter proof, the Snake in the Grass would probably make a decent pre-dinner cocktail.