The Alaska Cocktail was invented some time back in the 1910s, and though cocktail historians are uncertain as to how it picked up its name, we think it’s a gin and Yellow Chartreuse number that deserves to be remembered a little better.
Perhaps it’s the use of Yellow Chartreuse that sparks thoughts of a cold Alaskan mountain; the herbal, 40 percent ABV liquor (Green Chartreuse weighs in at a heftier 55 percent ABV) hails from the Rhône Alps in France, where it is often drunk at the end of a day in the mountains or on the slopes.
The Alaska Cocktail is, at its heart, a Martini variation: swap out the vermouth for Yellow Chartreuse and add a drop or two of orange bitters and you’re on your way.
The Alaska Cocktail first appeared in the 1913 book, Straub’s Manual of Mixed Drinks, by Jacques Straub. Straub — as his book points out — was born in Switzerland; he found his way to the USA, working in both Kentucky and later, in Chicago.
Alaska Cocktail
Ingredients
- 45ml gin
- 15ml Yellow Chartreuse
- 2 dashes orange bitters
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients with ice until very cold.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Notes
The Alaska Cocktail first appeared in the 1913 book, Straub’s Manual of Mixed Drinks, by Jacques Straub. Straub — as the book points out — was born in Switzerland and ended up working in the USA in Kentucky and then in Chicago.
