It’s been much too long since I featured a classic recipe – maybe not since the Clover Club back in September. Drinks that stand the test of time are always worth exploring. They provide such a unique connection to history. And if that’s what you’re looking for, the Widow’s Kiss has it in spades. This recipe dates all the way back to 1895. We’ve been drinking this cocktail for 124 years!
To aptly describe the Widow’s Kiss, I must quote Ted Haigh. In his book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, he writes:
As the scene opens, you are up in your grandmother’s attic opening the dusty steamer trunk she brought from Europe in 1914. You reverently turn back layer upon layer of old lace and brocade, unveiling a packet of old love letters tied in silk ribbon. Ancient dried rose petals flutter down from between the envelope.
That is what the Widow’s Kiss is like.
I’m not sure I’ve ever read a more poetic and evocative description of a cocktail. I’d like to see a bar menu where all the drinks are described this way. After all, drinking cocktails is so often about the entire experience rather than just the flavor.
In case grandma’s attic isn’t specific enough for you: the Widow’s Kiss is a strong, herbaceous apple brandy drink made with Yellow Chartreuse and Benedictine. It’s a spirit-forward sipper for sure, all apples, herbs, and sweetness. It’s almost a touch savory as well. Definitely an interesting and complex drink, and one of the more famous Yellow Chartreuse cocktails.
History: The first mention of the Widow’s Kiss is in the 1895 book Modern American Drinks by George Kappeler. Kappeler was the head bartender at Holland House, a fancy New York hotel on the corner of 5th Avenue and 30th Street. It’s assumed that he created the recipe.
Haigh’s recipe matches Kappeler’s (1.5 oz apple brandy and 3/4 oz. each of the Benedictine and Chartreuse), but despite my devotion to cocktail history I decided to use the specs from The PDT Cocktail Book instead. I’ve come to trust PDT on the classics and thought that their version with less Benedictine and Chartreuse would be more to my taste.
Widow’s Kiss
2 oz. apple brandy or Calvados
1/2 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
1/2 oz. Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. No garnish.
Recipe and history from The PDT Cocktail Book.