dee don

3/8 Booth's Gin (1 oz Beefeater)
3/8 Lillet (1 oz Cocchi Americano)
1/8 Benedictine (1/3 oz)
1/8 Pash, Dry (1/3 oz Ezequiel Passion Fruit Liquor)
Spot of Egg White (1/3 Egg White)

Shake once without ice and once with. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Friday nights ago, after making the Don's Beach Planter for Mixology Monday, we were still in a slightly tropical mood. When my eyes spied the unopened bottle of Ezequiel Passion Fruit Liquor, I decided to retry the Dee Don. The first time we made the recipe, I had used Passoã but I did not appreciate how the product was rife with artificial colors and flavors. While I am used to liqueurs being artificially colored (i.e.: Campari), the candy-like faux passion fruit flavor irritated me. Therefore, we asked bartender Stephen Shellenberger, and he recommended the Ezequiel brand which is devoid of artificial flavors and colorants.
The Dee Don from the Café Royal Cocktail Book was a 1930's original of the UK bartenders guild. The drink presented a floral, apricot-like aroma from the pairing of the Cocchi Americano and the passion fruit liqueur. The sip was citrus and passion fruit driven, and the swallow showcased the gin, floral, and Benedictine's herbal notes.