Chrysanthemum #2

COCKTAIL INGREDIENTS:
- 75 ml Dry Vermouth
- 15 ml Bénédictine
- 7.5 ml Fresh Lemon Juice
- Absinthe

GARNISH:
- Lemon Twist

INSTRUCTIONS:
• Rinse the chilled cocktail glass with absinthe and pour the excess back into the bottle.
• Combine rest of the ingredients in a mixing glass.
• Add ice and stir for 30-45 sec. or approx. 60 revolutions.
• Strain into a prepared cocktail glass.
• Garnish with a twist of lemon.

Cocktail author: Jamie Boudreau.

When I came across Chrysanthemum #2 it immediately jumped out to me, mainly because of the addition of lemon juice in a stirred cocktail. So, I had to try it. Cocktail that was not playing by the rules; where everything with lemon juice should be shaken. I haven’t tried the original early twentieth-century Chrysanthemum cocktail, so I cannot compare, but this particular variation was tasty.

Absinthe rinse in this cocktail was a right choice, in my opinion. Being a very powerful spirit, absinthe’s anise notes can quickly overpower rest of the tastes in the cocktail, but keeping it down to a rinse solves this problem and balances it very nicely. Of course, herbaceous Bénédictine is also strongly present in this cocktail pairing very well with absinthe, together giving this cocktail the most spice. Rather unusually in the cocktail world, dry vermouth forms the base of this cocktail. I went with the recommended Dolin’s Dry Vermouth, with its slightly acidic, grape juice taste combining well with a touch of lemon juice and offsetting the sweet combination of Bénédictine and Absinthe.

All in all, I must say Chrysanthemum #2 is a nicely balanced, unusual cocktail, that may surprise you if you give it a chance.

Source material:
https://punchdrink.com/recipes/chrysanthemum-2/