Alaska

Taste

Two ounces of gin to a half ounce of yellow Chartreuse, so the liqueur is a fifth of the pour: honey, dried herbs, and a faint saffron cast in the glass. One dash of orange bitters. Stirred, coupe, lemon twist. Juniper first, sweetness second, and an herbal finish that outlasts both.

History

The Alaska first appears in Jacques Straub's Manual of Mixed Drinks in 1913, made with Old Tom gin, yellow Chartreuse, and orange bitters. Harry Craddock prints it in The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930 with more gin and less Chartreuse, and adds a note: so far as can be ascertained this delectable potion is NOT the staple diet of the Esquimaux, and it was probably first thought of in South Carolina, hence its name. David Embury, in 1948, records it as sometimes called the Oriental and prefers it drier still. Two ounces of gin, a half ounce of yellow Chartreuse, and one dash of orange bitters go into a coupe with a lemon twist.

• Imbibe, Rediscovering the Alaska Cocktail
• Difford's Guide, Alaska (Savoy Recipe)

Same shape, other bottles

The Fancy family, with the bottle that changed.

• Casinomaraschino liqueur for Chartreuse
• El Caminomezcal, rye, and Bénédictine for gin and Chartreuse
• Fancy Freebourbon and maraschino liqueur for gin and Chartreuse
• Monte Carlorye and Bénédictine for gin and Chartreuse
• One Chance Fancytequila and orange liqueur for gin and Chartreuse
• Fancy Cocktailbourbon and orange liqueur for gin and Chartreuse