Speaking of Bénédictine and Chartreuse … I missed this story by Gary Regan when it appeared in the Chronicle about a month ago. Who knew that Purgatory could be a bit like heaven?

The Purgatory Cocktail
(by Ted Kilgore, Monarch Restaurant, Maplewood MO)

2-1/2 ounces Rittenhouse 100-proof rye whiskey.
3/4 ounce Bénédictine.
3/4 ounce green Chartreuse.
Lemon twist garnish.

Stir with ice for no less than 30 seconds, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add garnish.

Whoo, I’m going to ask for one of these after I’ve had a crap day at work. I might even make one tonight (although I don’t think I’ll have a crap day today), but I think tonight we may be going to Seven Grand.

UPDATE: We didn’t make it to Seven Grand tonight. Wes was tired after a long, crappy week at work and felt like staying in, so I decided to make Purgatory Cocktails tonight. Hopefully we’ll make it to Seven Grand tomorrow, but for now, here are the fruits of our labors. Well, drinking labor. (Feel free to sentence me to such hard labor.)

Man. That’s some big ol’ drink. Gary’s description was exactly right — that particular rye is robust enough to keep the herbal flavors of the Bénénedictine and Chartreuse (especially the latter) at bay and make them play well together. Complex and spicy and powerful (we’re talking about 2.5 ounces of 100 proof whiskey and 3/4 ounce of a 110 proof liqueur … yowza), this is one to add to the repertoire. Keep Rittenhouse 100 on hand for this, most assuredly — a softer rye like Old Overholt wouldn’t work here; it’s get wiped out. I’m not even sure Wild Turkey 101 Rye would work quite as well as the Rittenhouse does.

By the way, I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but just in case I haven’t … Rittenhouse 100 is the best rye value on the market today, in my humble opinion. A big, strong, spicy rye, an absolutely superb product, and it’s dirt-cheap — we get it for about $18 a bottle.