chrysanthemum no. 2

2 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/2 oz Benedictine
1/4 oz Lemon Juice

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe pre-rinsed with absinthe (Butterfly).
Two Sundays ago, I was in the mood for a lighter style of drink, and I decided upon the Chrysanthemum No. 2 by Jamie Boudreau from his The Canon Cocktail Book. Boudreau took the classic Chrysanthemum and dried it out a touch by reducing the Benedictine amount as well as by adding lemon juice. I tinkered with adding citrus to the drink by mashing it up with the Navy Grog to generate the Chrysanthemum Grog with decent success, so I was willing to give this mild riff a chance. Here, the stirred variation donated licorice, lemon, and anise aromas to the nose. Next, a white wine sip with a hint of lemon faded into herbal, minty, and licorice flavors on the swallow.