Alaska
Gin and Chartreuse, herbal gold.
Gin and yellow Chartreuse with a dash of orange bitters: a golden, intense cocktail scented with herbs and honey. A close relative of the Martini in which the Carthusian monks' liqueur takes the place of vermouth.
- Aperitif
- Shaken
- Glass
- Cocktail glass
- Method
- Shaken
- Strength
- Strong
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Gin
60 ml
-
Yellow Chartreuse
30 ml
-
Orange bitters
1 dash
Garnish
- Lemon twist (optional)
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Fill a shaker with ice.
- Pour the gin.
- Pour the yellow Chartreuse.
- Add the orange bitters.
- Shake well.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon zest, if desired.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The Alaska first appears in 1913 in bartender Jacques Straub's manual, with two thirds Old Tom gin, one third yellow Chartreuse and a dash of orange bitters, shaken. One hypothesis links the name to the drink's golden colour and to the Klondike and Nome gold rushes, still fresh in memory at the time. In the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, Harry Craddock offered a version with dry gin and less Chartreuse, joking that it was probably first thought of in South Carolina. In 1948 David Embury called it a Dry Martini with Chartreuse in place of vermouth.
Sources (6)
- Difford's Guide — Alaska (Savoy recipe) (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- Difford's Guide — Alaska (Straub's 1914 recipe) (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- Anchorage Daily News — The historic Alaska cocktail (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- PUNCH — Alaska (opens in a new tab) recipe
- Wikipedia — List of IBA official cocktails (opens in a new tab) recipe
- IBA — All cocktails, page 1 (Alaska absent) (opens in a new tab) recipe
Taste profile
- Herbal
- 4 out of 5
- Strong
- 4 out of 5
- Sweet
- 2 out of 5
