the superlative

2 1/2 oz Gin (2 oz Beefeater)
1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth (Cocchi)
1/2 oz Blanc Vermouth (Dolin)
1 bsp Luxardo Maraschino (1/8 oz)
Stir with ice, strain into a coupe pre-rinsed with absinthe (Kübler), and garnish with a lemon twist.Two Saturdays ago, I was scanning the Kindred Cocktails database when I came across the Superlative that would satisfy my craving for a stirred gin drink. The recipe was created by New Zealand home bartender Leslie Craven as his take on an Improved Perfect Martini. While it did not have the true Perfect aspect of sweet and dry vermouth by utilizing blanc for the latter, the Improved part reminded me of the Tuxedo Cocktail #2. Once prepared, the Superlative conjured up a lemon, pine, cherry, and anise aroma. Next, a semi-sweet grape sip flowed into gin, herbal, nutty cherry, and anise flavors on the swallow.