Prime Directive
Recipe:
- 60ml Plymouth gin
- 30ml bianco vermouth
- 15ml D.O.M. Benédictine
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
Stir everything for ca. 30 seconds over ice, strain into a prechilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon zest.
Star Trek sends its regards. Liquor.com describes it as "light" and "herbal". I have a hard time agreeing with the "light" part. Yes, vermouth does lend a certain lightness to drinks. Here, though, it's more like a sweeter martini - it has a certain heft to it, but at least it comes with nice, fresh notes in addition to that. If you don't have Plymouth in your home bar, as the original recipe calls for, I'd recommend a 2:1 split of a more citrus-forward Beefeater or Tanqueray with Old Tom gin.
But if you're in the mood for a herbal Martini, this is definitely a drink you would enjoy. It opens with fresh citrus notes, grape and apricot, followed by the herbs of Bénédictine, with a touch of honey, and finishes with a subtle hint of the bitters' spices. An elegant drink where the citrus zest becomes all the more important to liven it up a bit. It's also better to stir it a bit longer (with good ice) than to stop too soon.
Source: Andrew Volk, Hunt + Alpine Club, Portland, USA
