"The San Martin" has an unusual taste--not unpleasant--just unusual, and its taste kind of caught me offguard. I love virtually all hard liquors, but my mainstay is gin, and I've had many drinks with a gin and sweet vermouth combination. But this one... I made the drink using Bombay Saphire gin, Vya sweet vermouth, and (of course) 1 tsp of yellow Chartruse. I think it's the yellow Chartruse that's got me bamboozled.

Perhaps a different sweet vermouth will do better (e.g., the ol' standbys, Dolin or Antica Formula). The Chartruse is nicely placed in this drink; barely perceptible, but there. Maybe 1/4 or 1/2 more gin may make for a more satisfying taste and drink. Puzzle this one out for me, please. I did rate the drink at 3.5, however.

Made this with Spring 44 Mountain Gin and Dolin Rouge. Very nice! Takes me to the mountains.

An alternative recipe is at Imbibe, as pointed out by user Blanco B. 

Decrease maraschino to 1/2 oz, up apricot liqueur to 3/4 oz

The 51st Mixology Monday's theme is lime. Lime? Really? Oh, where to start. Margartita, Daiquiri, Mojito? Gimlet? Caipirinha? Yeah, Caipirinha, that's it. My Old Sao Paolo blends the spicy, assertive flavor of cachaça with the sophisticated herbal flavors of Elisir M. P. Roux. What, you ask, is Elisir M. P. Roux?

Think Green Chartreuse, sort of, but not as secretive. The <a href="http://www.crillonimporters.com/&quot; target="_blank">importer's website</a> openly lists the 14 botanicals: Bitter Almond, Wild Angelica, Balm, Garden Balsam, Cinnamon, Coriander, Damiana, Fennel, Ginseng, Hyssop, Lemon, Marjoram, Nutmeg, and Star Anise.47% ABV. Interesting stuff.

The muddled kumquat (or, in a pinch, a Clementine or other flavorful orange) and lime bring the citrus notes. acid balance, and a bit of oomph from the peel. The Fee's Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters adds a touch of bitter spicy depth. The resulting concoction is sort of a Batida -- a flavored Caiprinha, but with more complexity than one normally expects from Brazil's most famous drink.

Sweet but balanced. Would be good for a warm summer evening.

Mixology Monday LIII, hosted by Chris Amirault on eGullet, poses a bit of a tough challenge: devise a craft cocktail that would appeal to someone without much exposure to craft cocktails.

I was asked to bring a cocktail to a Mexican-themed dinner party, one where I knew that some of the folks were, uh, not as adventurous as I. While I love a well-made Margarita, I played with the orange flavors to make something both innovative and delicious. The Cuatro Naranjas has strong, complex orange flavors from the Creole Shrubb, Aperol, and Angostura Orange bitters. The Campari deepens the flavors, adds a touch of bitterness, and when combined with Aperol create a grapefruit-like undertone. Looking at the ingredients, you might think that it is hopelessly challenging. No so. The lime balances the bitter.

Even the most "amariphobic" loved it.

Not "amariphobic", but this sure is a fantastic way to drink tequila :)

<br />This is an interesting, quite drinkable cocktail whose full potential has not yet been realized. I read the comment by one user who said that perhaps another amaro should be used. The comment about Jack Daniels Black (which I'm inclined to use when the recipe doesn't specify the bourbon) gave me pause. So I decided to make some changes, and see if they would do any better

I decided to use a lighter tasting rye than, say, Rittenhouse or Bulleit, so I chose WhistlePig 10 rye (100 proof) which is lighter and less dry than many other ryes (it's comprable to Templeton 4 years rye in that regard). I also added a moderate amount of lemon zest--you'll have to eyeball what a moderate amount is-- and the peel. I found the resultant drink to be quite satisfying. Zwack's bitterness was kept under control, and Amaro Lucano brought an acceptable amount of sweetness to the drink. I rated the cocktail, as I constructed it, as 3.5.

As is, the Madhattan is a satisfying pre-dinner drink, and with additional modifications, I believe this cocktail should ultimately be rated at least at 4.0. Suggestions for improvements, please.