volstead act

2 oz Bulleit Rye
1/2 oz Green Chartreuse
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1 oz Lemon Juice
2 dash Bitter Truth Orange Bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two Wednesdays ago, I ventured down to Trade to visit bartender Tenzin Samdo. I met Tenzin at the Brattle Theater a week before the showing of Hey Bartender a week or so before, and after chatting with him after the movie was over, I knew that I had to sit at his bar in the near future. Once there, I scanned the menu and selected the Volstead Act as my first drink; the libation only shares a rye whiskey base with the similarly named classic, the Volstead Cocktail from Harry McElhone's Barflies and Cocktails, and is a different recipe entirely. Both are a nod to the act that enforced the 18th Amendment to bring about Prohibition though.
The Volstead Act's lemon twist contributed greatly to the drink's nose. A semi-crisp lemon and citrus wine sip gave way to a swallow that began with rye and ended with Green Chartreuse flavors calmed by the citrus juice.