warday's cocktail

1/3 Dry Gin (1 oz Beefeater)
1/3 Calvados or Apple Brandy (1 oz Laird's Bonded)
1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Martini Grand Lusso)
1 tsp Chartreuse (1/6 oz Green)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
Two Tuesdays ago, I was flipping through the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book when I spotted the Warday's Cocktail. I had first tried the drink back in early 2008 when I found it the Savoy Cocktail Book. My journal entry shows that it was the same recipe, and that "The Chartreuse wasn't specified and my notes say that I used Green but Yellow might do just as nicely (in fact, a quick Google search seems to indicate that most modern recipes for this drink use Yellow). The sweet vermouth and Calvados add a lot of fullness which is balanced by the gin and Chartreuse's complexity." I stuck with Green Chartreuse for it is my default when the color is not specified, and also the combination reminded me of an apple-rich Bijou; Yellow would most likely provide a softer and more rounded drink. Once prepared, the Warday's Cocktail's nose was dominated by the Chartreuse's herbal aromas. Next, grape and apple notes mingled on the sip, and the swallow showcased pine, apple, and herbal flavors. Overall, the teaspoon of Chartreuse went a long way and offered a much better balance than the equal parts Bijou.