Merry Widow
- 2 oz London Dry gin
- 1 oz dry vermouth
- 1/2 oz Bénédictine
- 1 dash absinthe
- 1 dash Peychaud’s Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
We discovered this drink in The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book though it first appeared in Hugo Ensslin's, 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks' in 1917. It can also be found in The Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930. Difford's informs us that the name comes from an operetta first performed in 1905.
I particularly like the drink because it is a riff on the Martini in almost exactly the same way the De La Louisiane, my favorite, is a riff on the Manhattan. The Bénédictine adds a little sweetness, the absinthe brings flavor without dominating the drink and the Peychaud's gives it a most alluring, translucent peach color. It renders the Martini drinkable if not achieveing the magic transformation that the De La Louisiane performs on the Manhattan.