The Satan's Whiskers Cocktail

A classic drink that’s perfect for Halloween

Watch out for those scary little ghosts and goblins! We hear they’re out in force this time of year. Fortunately, they can be deflected with small candy bars.

But you may need something stronger when they haunt your house. So how about
the Satan’s Whiskers Cocktail? It has spooky good flavor and a name that fits right in with Halloween. Plus it’s not too boozy, so you can drink it on a school night.

No trick, just treat.

Recipe: The Satan’s Whiskers Cocktail

The Satan’s Whiskers has two well-known variations: “straight” and “curled.” The straight version contains Grand Marnier liqueur, while the curled contains generic orange curaçao. (Grand Marnier is actually a premium orange curaçao. But we think its flavor tends to be smoother and richer – less curly, you might say.)

The Satan’s Whiskers also features gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, orange juice, and orange bitters. Its flavor profile is similar to that of The Bronx Cocktail and The Income Tax Cocktail.

This recipe takes about 5 minutes to prepare, and serves one.

Ingredients

• ½ ounce dry gin
• ½ ounce dry vermouth (aka French or clear vermouth)
• ½ ounce sweet vermouth (aka Italian or red vermouth)
• ½ ounce Grand Marnier (for the straight version) or ¼ ounce orange curaçao (for the curled version)
• ½ ounce orange juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
• 3 to 4 dashes orange bitters
• orange twist for garnish (optional)

Procedure

1. Place all ingredients (except garnish) in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Shake vigorously until the contents are very cold (about 20 seconds).
2. Strain into a cocktail glass, preferably one that’s been chilled. Add garnish, if you wish, and serve.

Notes

• Which version of this drink is better, straight or curled? We like them both, though we may have a slight preference for the curled.
• BTW, the traditional recipe for this drink calls for ¼ ounce of either Grand Marnier or orange curaçao. But we think the straight version tastes better if you increase the amount of Grand Marnier to ½ ounce.
• So how did this drink get its name? Well, cocktail expert Eric Felten says that “Satan’s whiskers” used to be a fairly common exclamation. Sort of like “zounds,” we guess. 
• The Satan’s Whiskers dates back at least to the 1920s. Some say it was a featured drink at the Embassy Club in Hollywood, an establishment popular with film stars. (The Embassy Club also had a namesake drink, the Embassy Cocktail. It contains ¾ ounce brandy, ¾ ounce dark rum, ¾ ounce Cointreau, ½ ounce lime juice, and a dash of Angostura bitters.)
• Programming Note: Typically, we do one cocktail post a month, on the first Wednesday (except during our Summer Sippin’ Series). In honor of Halloween, though, we decided to mix up a special cocktail post. ‘Cause we’re thirsty. Next week – the first Wednesday of November – we’ll be doing our regular monthly cocktail post.

Speak of the Devil

“Nice looking drink,” said Mrs. Kitchen Riffs. “It’s a handsome devil.”

“Fiendishly tasty too,” I said.

“Though not too heavy on the alcohol,” said Mrs K R. “So how about conjuring us another round of this demonic potion?”

“Right away,” I said. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

“Hmm,” said Mrs K R. “So tasty we want two. But no evil aftereffects. It’s like black magic.”

Double, double. But no toil or trouble.

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Blood and Sand Cocktail
Bloody Mary Cocktail
Corpse Reviver Cocktail
Death in the Afternoon Cocktail
Doctor Funk Cocktail
Monkey Gland Cocktail
Widow's Kiss Cocktail
Bronx Cocktail
Income Tax Cocktail
Cocktail Basics
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