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This equal parts apple brandy and Bénédictine recipe broadly follows Ensslin's 1916 (the first published) recipe and is not only faithful to the original...
Tried this one (twice!) with different Calvados and Blue Curacao as I ran out of Orange. Besides the fact that the final color now looks as if this drink was made in Tchernobyl, this really IS a revelation.
Choice of Calvados however made a huge difference. I tried one with a Boulard Calvados VSOP, which makes for a more full bodied but less 'sweet apple'-taste, whereas a 'simple' 2 yr casked Calvados gave this cocktail a lighter, fresher taste.
Both were however very pleasant!
Had to adjust the sour balance according to the liking of the drinker but it still turned out absolutely delicious: delicious apple with herbal notes and orange undertone. What a pleasant surprise of a drink.
What makes the end of a long hard day worthwhile? Discovering a heretofore unknown classic cocktail and learning all about it at Difford's website! Thanks for this instant favorite.
I agree that is borderline pushing my sweetness tolerance but overall a nice cocktail. Will try it next time with the orange bitters as John recommended.
Full disclosure: the first time I made it, I misread the ingredients and used Grand Marnier instead of Benedictine....and it was actually better, not as sweet :)