Champs-Elysées

October 30, 2007 Chuck cocktails 1 Comment

Here’s another drink from the brandy seminar I attended in 2007, presented by Chad Solomon and Christy Pope and sponsored by Hennessey Cognac.

From the Smash we moved on in our cocktail history to a drink called the Daisy, which contined spirits, sugar and water (or simple syrup), citrus and a bit of orange Curaçao. From this basic recipe you could vary the spirits as with many of these historic drinks — brandy, whiskey, rum and gin were frequently used to make Daisies — but you could vary the liqueur as well. For a classic daisy the best orange Curaçao is recommended — Senior and Marie Brizard make good ones, but the best of all is the classic Grand Marnier, richly flavored with its brandy base.

Chad and Christy demonstrated a variation/evolution from the classic Daisy formula with this drink, in which the Curaçao is replaced by yellow Chartreuse, in a slightly higher proportion to the lemon juice to give it a nice balance. Green Chartreuse is typically specified, which you certainly can use, but the yellow has a slightly softer, sweeter profile that works really well in this combination; I love the way yellow Chartreuse plays with lemon juice.

The Champs-Elysées

1-1/2 ounces Hennessy VS Cognac.
3/4 ounce yellow Chartreuse.
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice.
1 dash Angostura bitters.

Combine in a shaker with ice, shake for 10-12 seconds, strain into a chilled rocks glass, either up or on the rocks as you prefer.

From then it was on to the Sidecar …

 

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One Response to “Champs-Elysées”

  1. erik_flannestad said:

    Feb 07, 10 at 12:09 pm

    I actually make this drink a lot with vodka instead of Cognac, when folks ask me for Vodka-Citrus cocktails. Something like, 1 1/2 oz vodka, 3/4 oz Lemon, 1/2 oz simple, 1/2 oz yellow chartreuse. Though I have had waiters say, “so it’s sort of an herbal lemon-drop?”