vow of silence

1 1/2 oz Ransom Old Tom Gin
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1/4 oz Averna
1/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Tuesdays ago, I decided to search through The Cocktail Hour recipe booklets that Jacob Grier had mentioned on his blog. The series is a set of 3 guides -- one for rum, one for vodka, and one for gin -- with drinks gathered from west coast bartenders and writers as well as some classics thrown in the mix. The cocktail that caught my eye that night was the Vow of Silence created by Daniel Shoemaker of the Teardrop Lounge in Portland. The name which was suggestive of Carthusian monks did not let my expectations down, for some of the herbal elements in this gin-citrus drink were donated by Yellow Chartreuse.
The Vow of Silence greeted my nose with a savory and almost mint aroma. The citrussy sip yielded more grapefruit than lemon notes. Finally, the drink swallowed like it smelled with a bounty of herbal notes from the Ransom gin, Averna, and Yellow Chartreuse.