Before there was crack, there was gin. I was never a huge gin drinker and was totally oblivious to its bad reputation. For whatever reason, I actually viewed it as a highbrow drink. So my mind was blown to find out that gin was to the 1700s what crack was to the 1980s… or what oxy was to the 2010s… and what heroin is to NYC today. Addictive and destructive to communities. It made me think about all the conspiracy theories about the government control through drugs!
Clearly, my mind went a million places for this post.
This recipe was a hard one. VICTORY GIN is described as unpalatable. Daniella took the easy way out and made her own gin. Great idea, but what was I supposed to do?
Do I make a recipe that doesn’t taste good?
You guys cool with that?
Nah.
Luckily I thought some more…
I focused on the keywords: medicinal, eye watering, fiery. Contextually, I thought of lean. It’s definitely medicinal but, quite frankly, not safe. Scratch that.
Then I thought shot. Shots can be all of the above and still taste great.
I started with gin, obviously. I chose Hendricks because it’s easily available and complex.
Then added an Islay whiskey, which is oily and fiery.
I took the liberty of reading medicinal as fruit, like the cherry cough syrup (remember Robitussin?) I took as a kid. But in this case, the maraschino cherry liqueur makes the drink balanced and pleasant. Also it’s stirred not shaken.
This is a strong but delicious shot with a great story behind it. So enjoy.
A Shot of VICTORY
Ingredients
- 6 oz Hendricks gin
- 2 oz Laphroaig 15yo Scotch
- 2 oz maraschino cherry liqueur
Instructions
-
Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker with a hand full of ice.
-
Stir and strain into any glass you want.
Recipe Notes
*These are decent sized shots that can also be sipped. The quote reads to me as a shot, but the drink can be enjoyed both ways.
**These are high-end liquors. You can substitute, but make sure you use an Islay Scotch and a very dry gin with prevalent juniper and citrus flavors.
