louise

1/3 jigger Gin (1 1/2 oz Beefeater)
1/6 jigger Italian Vermouth (1/2 oz Cocchi Sweet)
1/6 jigger French Vermouth (1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry)
1/3 jigger Pineapple Syrup (1/2 oz)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.Two Thursdays prior, I started perusing Bill Boothby's 1934 World Drinks and How to Mix Them and discovered the Louise. The name and components reminded me of the Madame Lou in that tome, and the Madame Lou with a hint of pineapple syrup led me to craft the Diamond Queen for the Tales of the Cocktail 2017 Martini riff competition. Here, it was a Perfect Martini with a lot more pineapple syrup that I ended up toning down. In the glass, the Louise met the senses with a pine and pineapple bouquet. Next, a semi-sweet and semi-tropical sip danced into a gin, pineapple, and herbal swallow. Overall, the balance was a bit too sweet for me (even with the reduced syrup level) as it warmed up, and perhaps the combination could have used a dash or two of absinthe or other bitters for not only drying abilities but for a little extra depth.