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A product of the new Las Vegas downtown cocktail scene, this drink is reminiscent of a lightly flavored martini, but served on the rocks. You can drink this at The Artifice (look for the flickering ‘R’) in the Las Vegas arts district, along with many more signature cocktails. This is a very smooth, balanced cocktail; lots of herbs and just enough sweet to keep everything together. The Taming of the Shrew is extremely good as a cocktail to start the night, or for fans of gin looking for something outside of the average tonic or Collins concoction. The gin in question is Hendrick’s, an unusual gin with unusual flavors. The most prominent and most interesting of which is that of cucumber, with strong juniper, floral, and herbal notes. Although much less assertive than very herbal gins such as Bombay Sapphire, it adds it’s own unique personality to any drink it takes pole position in. The actual cocktail is made as such:
Ingredients:
2.5 oz Hendrick’s Gin
1 oz of Verte Absinthe
Juice of 1 lime wedge
5-7 fresh mint leaves
Directions:
Muddle the mint leaves into the bottom of a short glass. Add the gin, absinthe, and lime juice into a mixing glass and mix well. Add ice to the short glass, then pour the mix over ice. Mix lightly to infuse the mint oil and enjoy.
To properly describe this cocktail, I must guide you through how the flavors reveal themselves. One would assume that such a strong spirit such as absinthe would take over first, but anise and fennel actually take a back seat to the cool, clean flavors of Hendrick’s. Then the Absinthe (which I believe was the brand Lucid), which brings along just a hint of the lime; the acid truly acts more to smooth down the stronger flavors. It has a very clean and chilly finish with the mint and the last floral notes of the gin and ice.
This is a cocktail that can find a home in anyone’s repertoire. Whether it is produced en masse for party guests, or simply a drink to relax and refresh on a lazy summer afternoon, the Taming of the Shrew will tame your thirst for a beautifully crafted cocktail.
