Northern Lights (Christian Clark)

2 oz Gin, St. George Terroir
1⁄2 oz Herbal liqueur, Yellow Chartreuse
1 ds Absinthe, St. George
1 ds Orange bitters (Regan's in the original)
1 twst Lemon peel (expressed and discarded)
Instructions

Stir and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist a lemon peel over the top and discard the peel.

Notes

Works well with an 'assertive' gin.

History

"The Northern Lights is a slight variation of the Alaska cocktail inspired by the bold Douglas fir character of Terroir gin, which draws the imagination to the deep forests of the north. A touch of absinthe enhances the floral sweetness of the chartreuse, which vibrantly contrasts with the savory pine. Knock back a few of these and you'll swear you can see the Aurora Borealis."

Cocktail summary
Created by
Christian Clark, Tosca Café, San Francisco
Is an
authentic recipe
Reference

Original link is defunct, a good reference to it is here:
https://forums.egullet.org/topic/54990-chartreuse-and-cocktails-with-ch…

Curator
5 stars
Average
4.5 stars
(19 ratings)
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From other users
  • Mint was drawn out by this combo. Going light on the absinthe dash allows the other flavors room.
  • strong but tasty; good as a strong, complex martini variant
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Comments

Curated for an updated reference link since the original has disappeared and is not archived in the Wayback Machine unfortunately. Also updated, as noted from the egullet link, Regan's was the bitters shown at the time. Having made the cocktail, anyone hoping to replicate this one really needs to find St. George Terroir Gin as it is unique. The fir component in this distinguishes it from other gins and provides an original expresssion. I resisted trying this gin for several years, but when I did, it opened up a whole new vista of flavors. One could likely create a facsimile with Clear Creek Douglas Fir eau de Vie mixed with a London Dry, but getting the proportions right requires experiencing the St. George Terroir first.