Welcome to the new By the Book, where the Sauce editors choose a monthly theme and pit cookbooks in a head-to-head battle to see who comes out on top. And the winner? We hand the champion over to you in a By the Book Facebook giveaway. In honor of our annual Guide to Drinking, we’re kicking the new BTB off with cocktail books. Last week, we shook up a Detroiter from Cocktails on Tap. Next up: Drinking with the Saints by Michael P. Foley.
Drinking with the Saints is for those interested in Catholic history or those looking for an excuse to drink every night – in fact, both might be required. Organized as a calendar, drink recipes are paired with saints’ feast days and short biographies. Ranging from classic and vintage cocktails to themed inventions, most are simple but require a fully stocked bar.
I chose to make the Green Ghost cocktail; on a Thursday afternoon, it sounded refreshing with gin, Green Chartreuse and lime juice. Also (full disclosure) I know the author of Drinking with the Saints and was privy to tastings while he developed the lengthy book. I remembered the Green Ghost as a perfectly tart cocktail.
Reminiscent of a Last Word with gin, Green Chartreuse and lime juice, the Green Ghost has no Maraschino liqueur to sweeten and soften the in-your-face, herbaceous tag team of gin and Chartreuse. I enjoyed the tangy cocktail, but would have preferred a milder gin to the Beefeater we had available at Sauce HQ. Something like Hendrick’s would provide a better backdrop for the alluring complexity of Green Chartreuse and fresh citrus.
The Rundown Skill level: Beginner. Recipes are simple and straightforward, but some drinks do demand ingredients you’ve never heard of.
This book is for: People interested in saints and cocktails – Catholic drinkers’ coffee tables.
Other recipes to try: For a crowd, make the complex but balanced Prompt Succor Punch, which includes gin, Yellow Chartreuse, Herbsaint and citrus.
The winner: Cocktails on Tap. Even for saints, the complexity of the Detroiter was hard to beat.
Green Ghost 1 serving
2 oz. gin
½ oz. Green Chartreuse
½ oz. lime juice
• Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice and shake 40 times. Strain into a cocktail glass.
This article appears in October 2015.