Improved Gin Cocktail

Steps

1. 1

   Take your coupe glass out of the freezer and add 1 dash of absinthe. Swirl it around so the absinthe coats the inside of the glass, then pour out the extra liquid. This leaves a thin film of licorice flavor that will hit your nose when you drink.

   

   !Leaving the excess absinthe in the glass will overpower the gin completely.

2. 2

   Grab your mixing glass and measure in 60ml of gin, 30ml of sweet vermouth, and 5ml of maraschino liqueur. Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters and 1 dash of orange bitters if you are using it.

   

   !Pouring a heavy splash of maraschino instead of a precise small amount makes the drink taste like cough syrup.

3. 3

   Fill the mixing glass about three-quarters full with ice cubes. Take your bar spoon and stir steadily for about 20 to 30 seconds. You are done when the outside of the mixing glass feels very cold to the touch and condensation forms on it.

   ~25s

   

   !Stirring too fast or chipping the ice makes the drink cloudy and waters it down too much.

4. 4

   Hold the Hawthorne strainer over the top of the mixing glass and pour the drink into your absinthe-rinsed coupe. The liquid should look clear and sit about an inch below the rim.

   

   !Tilting the strainer or pouring too fast can let ice chips slip into the finished drink.

5. 5

   Take your lemon peel and hold it over the drink, colored side facing the surface. Squeeze it firmly so a mist of lemon oils sprays across the top of the cocktail, then drop the peel in as a garnish.

   

   !Squeezing the peel into the drink instead of over it loses the aromatic oil spray.