les sablons

1 1/2 oz Absolut Elyx Vodka (Citadelle Gin)
1/2 oz Manzanilla Sherry
1/2 oz Benedictine
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
1/4 oz Simple Syrup

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Wendnesdays ago, I met friends at Les Sablons in Harvard Square. For a drink, I went with the namesake cocktail that has been attributed to bar director Jackson Cannon who also put the drink on the menu at sister restaurant Eastern Standard. As I have done with drinks such as the Parisian Orchid and Beacon Fix, I asked if I could have the Les Sablons with gin; in keeping with the French theme, I requested Citadelle Gin which I had spotted elsewhere on the menu. With gin, the drink recipe read like a Barbara West with Benedictine in the mix.
The Les Sablons with gin greeted the senses with a lemon, savory, and juniper nose. Next, the lemon and savory notes continued into the sip, and the swallow provided complementary gin and herbal flavors with a clean sherry finish.