21st Century (Jim Meehan's recipe)

How to make:

POUR anis liqueur into chilled glass, swirl, then pour contents out to leave the inside of the glass coated and set 'rinsed' glass aside. SHAKE other ingredients with ice and fine strain into pre-prepared glass.

Review:

Jim Meehan is rightly proud of his ground-breaking tequila-based riff on the classic 20th Century and it is indeed both delicious and well-balanced. He created this before absinthe became available in the USA and now it is, I'd prefer to replace the anis liqueur rinse with a couple of dashes of absinthe incorporated with the other ingredients prior to shaking.

Variant:

21st Century (Difford's recipe)

History:

Jim Meehan created this tequila-based riff on the classically gin-based 20th Century Cocktail back in 2007 during his tenure at Manhattan's famous Pegu Club (subsequently recorded in his 2012 PDT Cocktail Book). Jim points out, "this cocktail was created before absinthe was legalized in the US- it was legalized that year- and in the same year the Oaxaca Old Fashioned was, as I had a sense that agave spirits would lead the zeitgeist in the 21st century- as they have." Jim was ahead of the popularity of absinthe and the rediscovery of the 20th Century Cocktail - he arguably dove it, especially State-side.

21st CENTURY
I created this tequila-based 20th Century Cocktail at the Pegu Club with the guidance of Audrey Saunders.
2 oz Siete Leguas blanco tequila
¾ oz Marie Brizard White Crème de Cacao
¾ oz Lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled, Pernod-rinsed coupe.
No garnish.
–Jim Meehan, New York, 2007

Jim Meehan, PDT Cocktail Book, 2012

Nutrition:

One serving of 21st Century (Jim Meehan's recipe) contains 212 calories