savoir faire

2 oz Gin (St. George Dry Rye)
3/4 oz Dry Vermouth (Noilly Prat)
1/4 oz Avèze Gentian Liqueur (Salers)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe spritzed with orange blossom water. Garnish with lemon oil from a twist.

Two Wednesdays ago, I reached for Sasha Petraske: Regarding Cocktails and was curious about the Savoir Faire. The recipe was crafted by Lauren McLaughlin of Milk & Honey, and Sasha's wife Georgette loved floral cocktails such as this one. The book's recipe incorrectly listed the dry vermouth as 1/4 oz, and Lauren was kind enough to write me on Instagram to alert me that the correct amount was 3/4 oz to match their Martini spec. My tasting notes were unfortunately for the lesser amount of dry vermouth though.
The Savoir Faire's orange flower water combined with the lemon oil and hints of juniper and gentian to provide an elegant nose. Next, the sip was rather clean, and the swallow shared gin and rye spice notes that were graced with gentian bitter complexity.