Name: Alaska (Difford's recipe)
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 1 disc Orange zest/swath; 50 ml Old Tom gin; 15 ml Chartreuse Yellow; 2 dash Orange bitters; 2 drop Saline solution 4:1; 1 dash Absinthe; 7.5 ml Chilled water

Ingredients

1 disc

Orange zest/swath

1 2/3 fl oz

Hayman's Old Tom Gin

1/2 fl oz

Yellow Chartreuse (or génépy liqueur)

2 dash

Orange Bitters by Angostura

2 drop

Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s

1 dash

La Fée Parisienne absinthe

1/4 fl oz

Chilled water/mineral water (omit if using wet ice)

How to make

Glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a NICK & NORA GLASS.

Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.

Method

SQUEEZE the oils of a coin-size orange zest into mixing glass and drop zest in.

Add other ingredients, REGAL STIR with ice.

STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

EXPRESS orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Alcohol content:

1.6 standard drinks
29.5% alc./vol. (59.01° proof)
21.7 grams of pure alcohol

Gallery

Alaska (Difford's recipe) lifestyle image

Comments & Discussion

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John CARR Premium Member 47w

Highly aromatic and floral. I used Strega for the golden liqueur - making it a Bombe Alaska. Anyway, loads of interesting flavours here though I do wonder if something involving Sherry might work here …

Florian Ruf Premium Member 1y

I have recently added a variation from Coqodaq in NY using Midor melon, published by Punch. If you are interested: https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/33235/coqodaqs-alaska

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 1y

I took the liberty of renaming Matt Chavez's creation a Cosmic Alaska:
https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/29165/cosmic-alaska

Florian Ruf Premium Member 1y

Tank you Simon. Same ingredients but slightly different measures.

Simon Difford Continue thread (1 reply)

Peter Pendergest Premium Member 1y

I’m always amazed how absinthe (a flavor I generally cannot stand), in moderate amounts, adds such complexity to a cocktail. I have to say this is the best version of the Alaska that I have had.

Chris Dimal 36w

I agree with you so much. I was also worried about the Absinthe, and yet it works impeccably well here. I think it's the botanicals all combining seamlessly.

Jacques Gaudin Premium Member 2y

I was surprised how absinthe and orange work so well together. My garnish was a disc of orange peel (used a mini cookie cutter). Never been to Alaska but somehow feels like I've seen a sunset on its icy landscape.

Andy Prior Premium Member 2y

The instructions are a bit “not right”. You express the orange into the glass. But then mix everything in the glass and then strain into the same glass? I know you are good Simon - but I wanna see that!

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 2y

The instructions are correct! Express zest into "stirring glass", stir and strain to "chilled glass." Two different glasses - one being stirring glass and the other being a Nick & Nora.