Rob de Santos

I had made the Argentina sometime ago and enjoyed it. As it happens, I came across the following recipe in the "Tratado practico de coctelaria pasteleira y affines" bar guide by Mario Kardahi, Buenos Aires, 1966. (A very interesting book full of drink and food recipes, etc.). Portions adjusted to keep the original ratios.

Mar de Plata (page 85):
1 oz dry gin
3/4 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 "blows" Grand Marnier (probably a few dashes or less than 1/6 oz)
lemon juice (qty not specified)

Very nice drink. Enjoyed the combination of the juniper and orange flavors.

A couple of peripheral comments on this drink. The X-15 is referred in Jeff Berry's books as built by Douglas Aircraft. This is a rare error by the Beachbum. It was a North American Aviation [later Rockwell Int'l] product. The plane that crashed on Nov. 15, 1967, was the X-15-3, the third of the experimental models built. The pilot who died that day, Major Michael J. Adams, was posthumously awarded astronaut wings as his flight, prior to the in-flight breakup, exceeded the altitude that NASA recognizes as the edge of space. Maj. Adams is listed on astronaut memorials. The Saturn was popular at the tiki themed parties I tended in the 90's and early 00's. During my aviation career, I had the pleasure to meet several of the pilots and engineers who worked on the X-15.

The Parfait Amour variation is a great drink but to balance the sweetness, a tad more gin as suggested here makes a better drink.