Name: Widow's Kiss
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Calvados apple brandy; 15 ml Bénédictine D.O.M.; 15 ml Chartreuse Yellow; 2 dash Aromatic bitters

Widow's Kiss
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Photographed in a Speakeasy Nick & Nora 4.75oz

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ oz	Calvados / apple brandy / straight applejack
¹⁄₂ oz	Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur
¹⁄₂ oz	Yellow Chartreuse (or génépy liqueur)
2 dash	Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Nick & Nora glass.
Prepare garnish of 2 skewered maraschino cherries.
STIR (or shake) all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into chilled glass.
Garnish with skewered cherries.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Cocktail of the day:

6th June 2025 is The Aniversary of D-Day

Review:

Herbal with hints of apple, mint and eucalyptus. This classic is also often made with green Chartreuse, but we prefer, as per classic recipes, with half Yellow Chartreuse and half Bénédictine.

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Variant:

Jim Meehan's contemporary Widow's Kiss with 60ml (1oz) Bonded calvados, 7.5ml (¼oz) Yellow Chartreuse, 7.5ml (¼oz) Bénédictine, and 2 dashes aromatic bitters.

History:

Created by George J. Kappeler at New York City's Holland House Hotel. This recipe is adapted from his 1895 book Modern American Drinks.

Widow's Kiss
A mixing-glass half-full fine ice, two dashes Angostura bitters, one-half a pony yellow chartreuse, one-half a pony benedictine, one pony of apple brandy; shake well, strain into a fancy cocktail-glass, and serve.
George J. Kappeler, 1895

Kappler's recipe translates as:
1 pony = 45ml = 1½oz Apple brandy (calvados)
½ pony = 22.5ml = ¾oz Bénédictine D.O.M.
½ pony = 22.5ml = ¾oz Yellow Chartreuse
2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters

More cocktails by George Kappeler

Nutrition:

One serving of Widow's Kiss contains 212 calories

Alcohol content:

1.6 standard drinks
29.88% alc./vol. (29.88° proof)
22.6 grams of pure alcohol

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Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Showing 10 of 17 comments for Widow's Kiss.
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Tuber Magnatum

7th June at 22:28

Had this tonight in recognition, albeit a day late of D-Day. One would think this drink should be stirred, but I was happy that the directions "allow" for one to shake! I'm glad I did, as for me, the extra dilution from the shake cut the viscosity of the D.O.M. Next time, I think I will try with a little extra Calvados and stir which might do the same. An added benefit would be to increase the smallish overall volume which has been commented on earlier.

Walter Brookbank

6th June at 21:11

I love the way the Calvados and Yellow Chartreuse compliment each other, great way to enjoy your yellow Chartreuse! Boozy, definitely a sipper, but still a clean honey like finish. Great finale cocktail, not a preamble. I especially like the name of the cocktail! "Here's to the widow that lives on the hill, she want kiss you but her sister will" "Here's to her sister". WDB

John CARR

30th May at 14:30

Revisiting while playing ‘Difford’s Roulette’ (open the book at a random page)… and almost exactly in time for D Day. Forgot to try adding Caspian’s suggested saline, although the relatively delicate aromatics of the Calvados tend to emerge more as the drink warms. A charming little concoction!

Caspian Berggren

21st May at 16:48

Dang, this is a really nice cocktail. The calvados and the herbal liqueurs play great with each other, and the angostura adds just amount of spice and bitterness to prevent it from being cloying. I suggest you add 1-2 drops of saline solution, though, because it really makes that fresh apple pop out a bit more.

Andy Parnell-Hopkinson

16th November 2024 at 22:46

Also good on the rocks

John CARR

6th June 2024 at 12:42

Widow’s kiss, or widow maker?! This is a potent flavour grenade this one… for D Day. Strong, dry, herbal with underlying honeyed sweetness. Thinking of those times today. Strangely I had exactly the right amount of a Avallen left in the bottle. Funny how that happens..!

John CARR

6th June 2024 at 12:44

I’ll be interested to try Jim Meehan’s version when I get some bonded Calvados in.

Daniel Jones

20th April 2024 at 09:11

The way I just tried making this cocktail is 1.5 Pere Magloire VSOP, 1/4 Strega, 1/4 Benedictine, 1/4 Carpano sweet vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters & a luxardo cherry. The sweet vermouth cuts the sugar enough but am going to try 1/3 sweet vermouth and taste how that works.

Daniel Jones

20th April 2024 at 09:01

I love almost all variations of cocktails, but the base spirit+liqueur drinks like an old fashioned & this style are too sugary for me to fully enjoy. Hence, the way I make a Vieux Carré is 1 Rittenhouse Rye, 1 Cognac, 3/4 Carpano Sweet vermouth, 1/4 Benedictine, 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, stirred & served Up in a coupe with a Lemon twist & Luxardo cherry