Monkey Business

Tonight I set my mind to creating a drink that used absinthe that I liked. Simultaneously, I was wondering what to do with the new blood orange liqueur Solerno. I ended up joining the two with gin. Gin goes well with a bit of absinthe, and it has proven companionable with Solerno. Perhaps the three of them would play nice together.

I combined the gin and Solerno in a one-to-one ratio, and then added a spoonful of absinthe. I always feel absinthe performs best when in a minority role. It proved delightful. Light, yet strong. A fruity edge, but not too pronounced.

One thing bothered me. The drink had almost no color whatsoever. An anemic light green. A colorful garnish might do the trick. But I thought there must be a better solution.

Mulling over the drink, I realized it bore some similarities to the Monkey Gland, a favorite of mine. I had only substituted blood orange liqueur for the fresh orange juice. Also, I had left out the spoonful of grenadine. Maybe I should put that ingredient it back in. It would solve the color problem.

I did so, and viola: a much better drink, and a much more attractive one, with a pretty, rose-colored hue. Given that it's stirred, as opposed to shaken, it amounts to a more elegant, urbane version of the Monkey Gland. I've opted for no garnish to retain the sleek appearance. I call it the Monkey Business, basically because I was monkeying around when I came up with it.

Here's the recipe:

1 oz. gin
1 oz. Solerno blood orange liqueur
1 barspoon absinthe
1 barspoon grenadine

Stir over ice. Drain into chilled cocktail glass.