X

Recipe from Quarter+Glory

Adapted by Rosie Schaap

X
Roland Bello for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop Stylist: Lili Abir Regen.
Rating
4(22)
Comments
Read comments

This dramatically dark drink's elegantly equal proportions are offset by the addition of a small amount of activated charcoal powder — an unusual (and, yes, edible) ingredient that has been making appearances on inventive cocktail menus in recent years. Here, it joins navy-strength gin, maraschino, Chartreuse, lemon juice and Brennivín — a bracing Icelandic schnapps — in beautiful balance. —Rosie Schaap

Featured in: What's Your Pleasure

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
    Subscribe

  • Print Options

Advertisement

Ingredients

  • ¾oz. navy-strength gin
  • ¾oz. Brennivín (an Icelandic schnapps)
  • ¾oz. maraschino liqueur
  • ¾oz. green Chartreuse
  • ¾oz. lemon juice
  • Bar spoon of activated charcoal powder
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Cooking Newsletter illustration

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine all ingredients but the charcoal in a mixing glass, then add the charcoal. Add ice, and shake vigorously. Double strain (through a cocktail strainer, and then a mesh sieve) into a chilled coupe.

Ratings

4 out of 5
22 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

ArtSpring

You've got to be kidding me! Activated charcoal in a drink? I'm an organic chemist and while PURE carbon is not in any way toxic, in the manufacturing of carbon black, there are potential carcinogens produced. Aside from a 'novelty', what possible purpose can the carbon black be, other than as a novelty (and a potentially hazardous one at that!).
BTW: we use activated carbon is a number of our processes, and when we doue it, we use full face respirator-type dust masks.

ethyss

ArtSpring:
Activated charcoal sold over the counter as a dietary supplement, a safe & effective way to trap toxins & chemicals in the body, allowing them to be flushed out of the body. Most popular uses is for safe treatment of poison & drug ODs used in ER centers. Also for bloating & gas, lower cholesterol, bile flow safely during pregnancy, prevent hangovers. Please research more carefully before making your erroneous statements. All this can be verified the web.

ArtSpring

Ethyss,
Not a single statement that I made is erroneous. Yes, some activated charcoal is used as you say, but it is very highly purified. But I certainly wouldn't eat it. And saying 'all this can be verified on the web' is silly. You can verify anything on the web.

prsn

If you buy it from the right source, it’s probably safe. Also, Rosie Schaap wrote in the description that is was edible. It is purely optional, and if you don’t like it (artspring) then you don’t have to do it. Let people use their own discretion.

Matt

I made this in bulk and gave it out in half-pint jars as a Christmas/New Year gift for friends, with little packets of "coal" for the naughty. The cocktail is very good and certainly doesn't require the activated charcoal. It's quite beautiful without it actually, but the charcoal is fun and adds drama. It does makes the drink a little gritty however. I used Aquavit in place of the Brennivin, which I could not find.

Ranknfyle

When presentation is everything? I agree with ArtSpring.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from Quarter & Glory, Washington

Recipe Tags

Advertisement

or to save this recipe.