cheapskate

2 oz Gin (Tanqueray)
3/4 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/4 oz St. Germain (St. Elder)
1 tsp Absinthe (20 drop St. George)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Sundays ago, I began flipping through the Stir Your Soul recipe book that Tales of the Cocktail published in 2009 to showcase recipes being offered that year whether at seminars, during events, or on the Tales' blog. One that caught my eye was the Cheapskate by Paul Clarke of the Cocktail Chronicles; Paul crafted this recipe for Matt Rowley's Mixology Monday entitled "Hard Drinks for Hard Times" where I contributed a quartet of beer-for-Champagne cocktail recipe swaps. Paul even made his version cheaper by using more budget ingredients and dubbing that one the Unwanted Houseguest. I do not believe that Paul served this during Tales that year for it was listed in the book as part of the Tales' blog, but I had the privilege of being served his Dunniette by the man himself. The only modification I made on the original was to tone down the absinthe from 1/6 oz (1 tsp) to 20 drops (1/2 bsp) to give the other ingredients a chance to shine.
The Cheapskate welcomed the nose with floral aromas accented by juniper and anise. Next, grape and the fruitiness from the elderflower combined on the sip, and the swallow proffered gin, herbal, and floral elements that concluded with an absinthe's anise finish.