SILENT NIGHT
The Silent Night: A Simple Modern Bourbon Cocktail
The Silent Night came out of The Eclectic Kitchen in 2018 when Crystal Cartier wanted to create something simple but flavorful. The drink takes bourbon and pairs it with Benedictine, a French liqueur made with honey and herbs. It's one of those three-ingredient cocktails that punches way above its weight class.
The recipe is straightforward: two ounces bourbon, half an ounce Benedictine, and a couple dashes of Peychaud's bitters over ice. No shaking, no complicated steps, just build it in the glass and stir.
Any decent bourbon works here. Grab something mid-range like Buffalo Trace or Four Roses. The bourbon needs enough backbone to stand up next to Benedictine, which has a pretty assertive flavor profile. You're getting warmth and oak from the whiskey, then Benedictine comes in with honey sweetness and all these herbal notes.
Benedictine is the interesting player here. It's been made since 1863 using 27 herbs and spices, though nobody outside the company knows exactly which ones. The taste hits you with honey first, then you get these layers of spice and citrus peel. It's sweet without being syrupy, which is why it plays nicely with bourbon instead of overwhelming it.
Peychaud's bitters are what bring this together. Unlike Angostura, Peychaud's has a lighter, more floral profile with anise notes that complement the herbal quality of Benedictine. Two or three dashes does the job without overpowering the drink.
Making it is almost too easy. Ice in a rocks glass, pour your bourbon and Benedictine, add the Peychaud's bitters, stir for a few seconds. Some folks like adding a citrus twist for aroma, but the drink works fine without it.
What's nice about the Silent Night is that it doesn't demand much from you. No special equipment, no obscure ingredients beyond the Benedictine and Peychaud's, no technical skills required. It's basically fancy bourbon on the rocks that took an extra thirty seconds to make.
The drink fits perfectly for winter nights when you want something warming with a bit more going on than straight whiskey. The herbal notes from the Benedictine give it this almost holiday spice quality without actually using cinnamon or cloves.
The Silent Night shows that modern cocktails don't need to be complicated to be good. Sometimes just knowing which ingredients work well together is enough.
RECIPE:
2 oz bourbon
½ oz Benedictine
couple dashes of Peychad’s bitters
expressed orange peel
Method:
Stir with ice, strain into a coupe.