Lunatics in the Garden

Lunatics in the Garden

Named after a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke about the Carthusian Order tending botanical plants, the drink gets a dose of those herbs from absinthe and monk-made Chartreuse. For an even more intensely herbal drink, try either Hendrick’s or The Botanist gin in place of the standard dry gin called for in this recipe. If you plan of adding a very generous dash of absinthe (or plan on making a round of Death in the Afternoon afterwards), seek out a bottle of Pernod absinthe, otherwise you can easily use the more affordable (and easier to find) Absente (an absinthe substitute that came out a little bit before the U.S. absinthe ban was repealed). If you are concerned about mixing a drink with uncooked egg whites, I recommend using pasteurized egg whites, which can be purchased in the dairy section of most grocery stores.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce Plymouth London or Blue Coat dry gin
  • 1 ounce lime juice, preferably fresh-squeezed
  • 3/4 ounce green chartreuse
  • 3/4 ounce luxardo maraschino liqueur
  • Dash absinthe
  • 1 egg white

Preparation:

Shake all over ice and strain into coupe. No garnish.