juno

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
1 oz Batavia Arrack (Van Oosten)
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dash Angostura Orange Bitters

Stir with ice, strain into a single old fashioned glass, and garnish with lemon oil from a twist.

Two Thursdays ago, I found an old file that I received from a previous bar manager for our house specs that I strongly surmised was from Drink in Boston (i.e.: it had recipes like the Krakatoa). In that file, I spotted the Juno that was an Alaska Cocktail riff with a split base of reposado tequila and Batavia Arrack in place of the gin. Given that John Gerten was fond of riffing on the Alaska such as with the Last Frontier and perhaps the Farley Mowat, it might have been one of his creations; however, Phil Ward's pairing of agave spirits with Batavia Arrack such as in the Shattered Glasser and Airbag made me wonder if the recipe had come from New York. On the other hand, John was not shy of utilizing that combination himself as demonstrated in the Smoking Jet Pilot.
Despite not knowing the exact who or where of the drink, I was curious to try the Juno. It met the senses with a lemon, vegetal agave, and Batavia Arrack funk aroma. Next, a honey-tinged sip led into vegetal tequila and funky Batavia Arrack melding into gentle herbal flavors on the swallow. Overall, the change in spirits shifted the drink from botanical driven to a more earthy feel.