WIDOWS KISS
The Widow's Kiss: George Kappeler's 1895 Herbal Apple Brandy Classic
The recipe was first published in George Kappeler's Modern American Drinks in 1895 The Drunkard's Almanac. Kappeler was the head bartender at Holland House, a fancy New York hotel on the corner of 5th Avenue and 30th Street Garnish. Ted Haigh, who wrote about the drink in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, thinks Kappeler probably invented the drink Tuxedo No.2.
The widow's kiss likely gained full dissemination via the 1900 edition of Harry Johnson's famous Bartenders Manual Tuxedo No.2. The combination of Yellow Chartreuse and Benedictine make for a flavor profile so immovably herbaceous, a wandering nose might mistake it for a cup of gin, though during the sip the apple brandy comes through Tuxedo No.2.
The original version leans toward the sweet side of after dinner drinks The Drunkard's Almanac. Herbal liqueurs were all the rage in the late 1800s, as were ratios that emphasized them, with this cocktail burying its base spirit like an outlaw with a sack of gold Tuxedo No.2. The drink showcases the late nineteenth-century preference for complex, spirit-forward cocktails with pronounced herbal character.
RECIPE:
1½ oz apple brandy or Calvados
½ oz Yellow Chartreuse
½ oz Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Method:
Add all ingredients to mixing glass with ice
Stir until well chilled (about 30 seconds)
Strain into chilled coupe or cocktail glass
Garnish with cherry (optional)