1 1⁄2 oz Reposado Tequila
3⁄4 oz Aromatized wine, Cocchi Americano
1⁄4 oz Herbal liqueur, Green Chartreuse
1 twst Grapefruit peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, up with a grapefruit twist.

Notes

I increased the Green Chartreuse to 1/4 oz -- Stewart calls for a dash. Stewart's version calls for Lillet Blanc, but the Cocchi Americano provides more balance. Your mileage may vary.

Cocktail summary
Posted by Peyton on 3/07/2014
Created by
Amy Stewart
Is an
altered recipe
Reference

The Drunken Botanist

Curator
Not yet rated
Average
4 stars
(26 ratings)
YieldsDrink
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From other users
  • Wow. Very good. Interesting combo of flavors. Better than what I’d imagine. Perhaps a little sweet, but achieves a depth informed by all, impossible without each other.
  • Made with China-China and Yellow Chartreuse.
  • Pretty nice. Generous with the twist, which adds needed freshness. — ★★★★
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Comments

"The French Intervention" is a misnomer as only 1/4 oz of this wonderful libation comes from France, namely the Green Chartreuse. But no matter, because the contributions from Mexico and Italy, in combination with France's contribution create a marvelously tasty drink that goes down easily... perhaps too easily.

For this drink, I used 1800 reposado tequila, maybe not top shelf, but a stalwart tequila, nevertheless. There is no way to adequately describe this drink other than to say it's light in taste, slightly sweet, very smooth, delicious to a fault, and so lowdown you won't be able to stop with just one. Your heart and soul won't let you! I rate this wondrous drink at 5.0--something I rarely do. But this drink deserves it! Stir, strain, and enjoy. But drink responsibly!


"The French Intervention" is a misnomer as only 1/4 oz of this libation comes from France

...and the Lillet Blanc that was in the published recipe. The title refers to Napoleon III's invasion of Mexico, hence the remaining single ingredient.



I am not rating the present altered recipe, but I gave this a try with some substitution and liked the result which I would give a 4. I used 1 oz of Lillet Blanc rather than Cocchi, to keep it French, employing more Lillet to stand up to the agave and improving the volume as well. I subbed 1/4 oz Izarra Verte in place of Green Chartreuse. This French Basque liqueur has a more spearmint herbal character and is milder than the aggressive Chartreuse, so 1/4 it seemed right vs. a dash in the original unaltered recipe. I thought the grapefruit twist might be out of place, but it fit in very well with the other components. I am quite pleased with the pairing of the Lillet and the Izarra Verte which complemented one another--something to explore for future experimentation.