chartreuse swizzle

JM Rhum Blanc
Pierre Ferrand Amber Cognac
Yellow Chartreuse
Bergamot Syrup
"West Coast" Ginger Syrup
Lemon Juice
Grapefruit Juice
2 drops Peychaud's Bitters

All ingredients save for the Peychaud's poured into a stemmed tumbler filled with crushed ice and stirred with a swizzle. Glass topped off with more freshly crushed ice and Peychaud's added to top of ice.
Last night, after having dinner at Dali (easy to do even as a large group when it is Superbowl Sunday), Andrea and I went to Drink. We found seats at the center bar where Misty was tending. While Misty was making Andrea a Rye Tennessee, my eyes spied the authentic naturally grown swizzle stick from Martinique in the tools bucket. The tool was one that Adam from The Boston Shaker had mentioned to me that Drink bartender John Gertsen had in his possession (Note: Adam is still looking for a source for these authentic swizzle sticks for his store. Any leads would be greatly appreciated by him and the Boston cocktail community as a whole).

When I mentioned the stick to Misty, she stated that she had two chartreuse swizzles that she greatly enjoyed making: one with green and one with yellow Chartreuse. While I was more interested in the green since I have had a several yellow Chartreuse cocktails recently, the yellow one's recipe was more appealing. Misty started my drink like mighty Thor, except with her hammer's target being an ice bag filled with a large chunk of Gloucester lake ice. I did not ask for the specific volumes on this one as I was overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of ingredients. Next, I got to see the swizzle stick in action as Misty twirled it until the drink was well mixed. To top off the drink, Misty added some more ice and added some Peychaud's bitters for an immediate aromatic nose to the drink.

In terms of tasting notes, the fresh citrus and the Chartreuse worked to intensify the other in the drink. Yellow Chartreuse can sometimes get lost in a complex drink; however, this was not the case in this swizzle. Andrea commented that she could definitely taste the funkiness of the rhum agricole, and how the sweetness of the drink was a good balance to that. The bergamot (a citrus fruit which is one of the flavors in Earl Grey tea) also added a distinctive note to the drink. We asked and got a taster glass of the bergamot syrup to appreciate it separate from the rest of the ingredients -- delightful!