Original Recipe: Soyeux

Summer is my favorite season, mainly because I do not like being cold.  But the other seasons have their own redeeming values.  One of the things I like most about fall is building a fire on evenings when the mercury starts to drop – not far enough to make you really cold (see above), but far enough that no one gives you weird looks when you start piling logs on your andirons.  And for me, fire implies whiskey (but not fire whiskey, importantly).  So when the weather turned colder for the first time this fall season in the District, I started a fire and turned to the task of putting together a new whiskey-based cocktail.  The result was the Soyeux:

I wanted a strong whiskey base, so I began with two ounces of E.H. Taylor, Jr., Small Batch Bourbon, one of my favorite bourbons at the moment.  Then I added half an ounce of Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, which is my go-to vermouth for Manhattans (although I also add a bit of Dolin blanc vermouth to those as well; more details in an upcoming post).  Speaking of Manhattans, this drink was moving decidedly in that direction, but I wanted to try something new.  So I added half an ounce of yellow Chartreuse – an herbal and slightly sweet liqueur that I thought would lighten the taste slightly.  To round it off, I added a dash of Fee Brothers Aztec chocolate bitters.  I stirred the ingredients with ice and then strained into a rocks glass, adding a large ice cube and an orange peel as garnish.

The result was a cocktail that tastes a lot like a Manhattan but has a velvety smooth edge, owing to the addition of the herbal sweetness of the yellow Chartreuse.  The orange peel adds a nice citrusy scent that cushions the strong scent that pure whiskey on ice can deliver from a rocks glass.  It is a good fireside drink that goes down quickly.  (Just remember that, while smooth, it is also strong.)

Here is the recipe:

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Soyeux

For a fall sipping drink that is like a Manhattan with a velvety smoothness, try the Soyeux cocktail, which mixes bourbon, yellow Chartreuse, vermouth, and chocolate bitters.

Course Drinks

Cuisine Spirit-Forward

Keyword Manhattan with Chartreuse

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 cocktail

Calories 210kcal

Author Geoffrey Wyatt

Ingredients

• 2 oz. bourbon I used E.H. Taylor
• 1/2 oz. yellow Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
• 1 dash Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
• orange peel

Instructions

• Combine the bourbon, Chartreuse, vermouth, and bitters in a mixing glass with ice and stir until cold.
• Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
• Express orange peel over drink and add as garnish.

Enjoy!