Okay folks, I’ve got another one from the vault of historic cocktails, and it’s just in time for St. Patrick’s Day – which, by the time you read this, will be only a few weeks away.
The Leatherneck is an excellent drink, but I present it to you now because it’s also … green! A lovely emerald green. So much nicer than the cheap beer with green food coloring served at watering holes that cater to frat boys. The color and flavor magic are the result of mixing whiskey with the delightfully odd, but always colorful and tasty, blue curaçao. It’s almost like magic!
As for the flavor, well, it’s interesting. But also good. Light notes of lime and orange combined with a surprisingly earthy base note from the whiskey. Give it a try – if only in honor of St. Pat. You might find yourself wearing a derby and leading a parade.
Leatherneck
2 ounces blended whiskey*
.75 ounce blue curaçao*
.5 ounce lime juice – fresh of course
Shake with ice and serve straight up. Garnish with a lime wheel if you’d like.
* About those ingredients: Blended whiskey (Canadian Club or Seagram’s 7) isn’t very good for sipping, or for much of anything else really, so this cocktail may be the only reason to buy a bottle. Fortunately, it’s cheap. On the other hand, blue curacao, while also cheap, is good for all sorts of things. Tiki drinks, for example, and the always-delicious Kamikaze.