I made this with St. George products: their raspberry liqueur, buddha's hand vodka and Firelit coffee liqueur. Was skeptical, but these flavors are fabulous together -- the coffee and raspberry comes through as a chocolate note. Very nice balance of sweet, bitter, and sour.

"Black Dahlia" can signify a warning of impending harm--even death. Well, fortunately, those who drink the "Black Dahlia" will come to no harm. On the contrary, they will experience a wonderful cocktail, layered with multiple flavors that include chocolate, rasberries, citrus, sweetness, and even some tartness. Complex, yes; tasteful, definitely.

Like "Bluetwist," who also commented on this cocktail, I, too, was somewhat skeptical as to how well these three ingredients would work out. I used Kahlúa, Crème de Frambosises by Gabriel Boudier, and Citron Absolute vodka. Using these products, I rated the "Black Dahlia" at 3.5. Had I used the products that "Bluetwist" used, I probably would have rated the drink at 4.0. Based on my experience using St. George products, I can comfortably say that St. George puts out high-quality products. I especially like their gins.

So, again my friend, put aside any fears you have about this "Black Dahlia." Get out these three rather common ingredients, mix, stir, strain, and enjoy a luscious drink.

It's pleasant. I subbed Clement VSOP for the Matusalem. I think it lacks a bit of oomph in the midpalate, and nothing really stands in the forefront. Perhaps a rinse of Fernet Branca to punch up the bitter?

Added suggestion for apple brandy / calvados and combined duplicate recipes.

Yum! I agree with the previous comment... this is a smooth, delicious drink that doesn't not seem "strong" in its flavor despite the amount of high-proof alcohol included. I made a double in a Collins glass and while it was a little short for the glass, it saved me the inevitable task of making another!

Originally posted by bschneier. Of several variations, this one has been adopted as the reference side car and is included in the Goodies > Quickstart Cocktails > Classic Cocktails.

Also there's Joaquin Simo's version :

2.0 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac

.75 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao

.75 oz lemon juice

1 barspoon 2:1 Demerara sugar syrup (how much is a "barspoon" anyway?)

I made Difford's super-easy "Grand Sidecar" a couple weeks ago and was instantly a big fan! Replaces the cognac and Cointreau with just GrandMa since it's already a blend of cognac and orange liqueur.

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/892/grand-sidecar

2 oz Grand Marnier

1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice

That's it! Shake, strain, up, orange peel garnish, enjoy! Try one, it's so good! 

Oh, and death to sugar-rimmed glasses!

As written, this drink is really dry - 3 oz of 80+ proof spirit and some lemon juice. You need the sugar rim to hope to have any sense of balance. Thanks,  Zachary

Made 2:1:1 with Torres brandy and PF Dry Curacao. I'm not a person who needs sweetness in drinks, but I think with the dry curacao a small splash of simple would be a good addition or make it according to the recipe above with slightly more orange liqueur.

Excellent with a few drops of absinthe to garnish.

Curated with poster's permission/approval to include the missing orange juice and some history. This is rather a difficult drink to list because the original is undrinkable by today's standards and there seems to be no consensus about how that should be remedied.

BTW, you made it before we corrected the recipe to include orange juice. I still think your absinthe garnish sounds nice. Anise and maple sounds unusual -- in a good way.

I had been adding a dash or two of absinthe to this (PDT) version of the recipe:

2oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy
3/4oz Lemon Juice
3/4oz Orange Juice
1/2oz Grade B Maple Syrup

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/10/applejack-rabbit-classic-app…

I tried this both as written and with bourbon (because, uh, I goofed). Both are interesting. I also tried the absinthe garnish, but I think it overwhelmed it because I used too much (more of a float). I think if I actually had a dropper bottle, I might have liked it more. It is a very mild-mannered cocktail -- a good choice for someone looking for something relaxing and easy-to-drink. It's also a good introduction to apple brandy.

Ding, ding, ding -- we have a winner. Given that the original is awful and there are a zillion modern versions, I'm happy to accept the PDT as a modern standard, and it sounds good to me.

very well balanced