The Arnaud Cocktail is named after French born pianist, singer and actress Yvonne Arnaud.
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| Yvonne Arnaud, Photo from Wikipedia |
Germaine Yvonne Arnaud was born in 1890. She entered the Conservatoire de Paris at age 9, and at age 12, she began performing with orchestras throughout Europe and USA. In 1911, she moved to the theatre. According to the website of the theatre in Guildford, England named in her honor, "warmth, humour and talent gave her an unrivalled position on the English stage for nearly fifty years."
The Arnaud Cocktail:
1 oz Gin
1 oz Dry Vermouth
1 oz Crème de Cassis
Stir over ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a blackberry on a cocktail stick.
Crème de cassis, or black currant liqueur, is considered to be a particularly French ingredient. Cassis ice cream is a classic French treat, as is the Kir, a drink made with wine and crème de cassis. A Parisian Martini also involves crème de cassis. Gin, on the other hand, is a classically English ingredient, so the combination of the two makes perfect sense for a French actress who spent so much of her life in England.
The verdict: I was a little afraid that Scott wouldn't like it since he wasn't a fan of the last drink with cassis or the cassis ice cream, but I was pleasantly surprised by his reaction. Surprisingly, I think he liked it better than I did. He thought it was a little fruitier than he would have liked last night, that it was more of a summer drink. I thought that although the flavors were both identifiable individually and smeed to play well together, there was something harsh about it that bothered me. Maybe I would prefer a similar drink with a different ratio of the ingredients.
It's interesting that you found this to be a summer drink. John made one for me a few nights ago (inspired by your post), and I was thinking it was a perfect slightly rich, sweet drink for after dinner on a chilly evening. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's the sweetness level that made him say that, and I agree with you that it's more versatile. I think that makes it good for the transitional weather we're having. A lot of the more wintery or autumnal drinks are more earthy or bitter, rather than it being about the level of richness, I think.
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