Widow’s Kiss

Name: Widow’s Kiss
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Calvados — 45 ml (1 1/2 oz); Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Herbal liqueur (e.g., Yellow Chartreuse) — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Angostura aromatic bitters (opt.) — 2 dashes

Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 32.6% ABV ∙

The Widow's Kiss is a stirred cocktail of Calvados, Bénédictine and an herbal liqueur such as Yellow Chartreuse, finished with aromatic bitters.

Ingredients

Servings

Garnish

Maraschino cherry

Instructions for 1 serving

Pre-chill a glass
Stir all ingredients with ice: Calvados 45 mlBénédictine D.O.M. liqueur 15 mlHerbal liqueur (e.g., Yellow Chartreuse) 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes (opt.)
Strain into the chilled glass
Garnish with two maraschino cherries on a skewer

Tips

Stir over ice for about 30 seconds, until the glass frosts; with two liqueurs in it, the drink needs that water or it tastes syrupy.
Keep the Bénédictine and Chartreuse to 15 ml each; both are potent, and a heavy hand buries the Calvados.

History

The Widow's Kiss was first published in 1895 in George J. Kappeler's book Modern American Drinks, a mix of apple brandy, yellow Chartreuse, and Bénédictine finished with Angostura bitters. Kappeler is generally credited as its creator, though the book offers no explanation for the evocative name, and the identity (or existence) of any actual widow behind it remains unknown.

The name proved so appealing that several other pre-Prohibition bartenders reused it for entirely different drinks. Harry Johnson's version combined Bénédictine, green Chartreuse, maraschino, and egg; William Schmidt's added Parfait Amour and egg white; and Jack Grohusko's Widow's Kiss was a rye whiskey drink with sugar, egg yolk, and seltzer. A New Orleans newspaper even described a simple Bénédictine-and-cream version in 1903. Kappeler's original apple brandy formula is the one that endured and was carried into later cocktail literature, eventually falling into obscurity after Prohibition before being revived by modern bartenders returning to pre-Prohibition classics.

FAQ

What is a Widow's Kiss drink?

A stirred cocktail of Calvados apple brandy with Bénédictine and an herbal liqueur such as Yellow Chartreuse, plus two optional dashes of aromatic bitters. It is served up in a coupe and drinks strong, at about 32.6% ABV.