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Satan's Whiskers Cocktail Drink

Satan's Whiskers Recipe

Gavin Wrigley Written by Gavin Wrigley
Get cozy this winter with an easy Satan's Whiskers recipe! This vibrant cocktail, made with Gin, sweet & dry vermouth, orange juice, Grand Marnier and a hint of orange bitters, is just right for frosty evenings.
Prep time: 1 minute
Mixing time: 1 minute
Servings: 1
Calories: 118

Ingredients
 

  • ½ oz Gin
  • ½ oz Sweet Vermouth
  • ½ oz Dry Vermouth
  • ½ oz orange juice - freshly squeezed
  • ¼ oz Grand Marnier
  • 2 dashes of orange bitters
  • Orange twist - for garnish, optional

Equipment

  • Cocktail Shaker
  • Cocktail Strainer
  • Fine strainer
  • Measuring Jigger
  • Strainer
  • Coupe Glass

Instructions

  • Prep Glass: Fill a Coupe glass with ice. Give it a stir to chill it and set it aside.
  • Add Bitters: Pour 2 dashes of orange bitters into the shaker.
  • Add Orange Juice: Add ½ oz orange juice.
  • Add Vermouths: Measure and pour ½ oz Sweet Vermouth & ½ oz Dry Vermouth into the shaker as well.
  • Add Gin: Add ½ oz Gin.
  • Add Grand Marnier: Finally, add ¼ oz Grand Marnier to the mix.
  • Shake Well: Fill the shaker with ice, close it and give it a good shake (10-15 seconds).
  • Strain: Discard the ice inside the coupe glass. Using both the cocktail strainer and the fine strainer, strain the mixture into the chilled glass.
  • Garnish and Serve: Express the orange zest on top of the glass (to do so, express the orange zest on top of the drink and place it on the rim of the glass). Serve immediately.

Notes

Substitutes:

  • Gin: Any kind of gin can be used for this recipe; simply avoid really fruity and sweet gins, whose flavor may interfere with the rest of the cocktail. If you don't have Gin on hand, vodka can substitute for a less botanical flavor.
  • Sweet Vermouth: You can use any kind of red vermouth to make this recipe. If possible, try to avoid the bitter kind of vermouth (such as Punt e Mes); these may be too strong and overpower the rest of the cocktail.
  • Dry Vermouth: Extra dry vermouth can be used as a substitute, as well as bianco (or blanc) vermouth; just keep in mind that this second type is sweeter and that you’ll maybe have to adjust the quantity in order to maintain the overall balance.
  • Fresh Orange Juice: Although fresh is always better, you can definitely make this cocktail using bottled orange juice. It will still make for a delicious drink!
  • Grand Marnier: If you're out of Grand Marnier, Cointreau Noir is a great substitute. If you can’t find any of these, any other kind of orange liqueur, such as triple sec or curaçao, can be used as a substitute.
  • Orange Bitters: If you don't have orange bitters, Angostura bitters can be used as well. Other kinds of citrus bitters, such as lemon or grapefruit, can also be used as substitutes.

Making a Pitcher of Satan's Whiskers:

  • Scale: To make a pitcher that serves 8, multiply all the ingredients by 8. That would be 4 oz of Gin, 4 oz of sweet vermouth, 4 oz of dry vermouth, 4 oz of orange juice, 2 oz of Grand Marnier, and 16 dashes of orange bitters.
  • Mix: In a large pitcher, combine all the ingredients. Add ice and stir well.
  • Serve: Strain to remove the ice, serve immediately into chilled coupe glasses and garnish each glass with an orange peel. If you have some leftovers, be sure to keep it in the fridge (make sure no ice cubes are left inside) in an airtight container.

Making it Non-Alcoholic:

  • Gin Substitute: Use a non-alcoholic gin substitute; these are available and reasonably mimic Gin's botanicals.
  • Dry Vermouth:Opt for a non-alcoholic vermouth (Martini Floreale for instance). Another option would be to use a dry non-alcoholic white wine.
  • Sweet Vermouth: Opt for a non-alcoholic red vermouth.These are usually widely available in liquor stores.
  • Grand Marnier Substitute: You can make a simple syrup infused with orange peel to use as a substitute for the Grand Marnier.
  • Orange bitters: To get the citrusy touch brough by the Orange bitter, you can slightly muddle an orange zest into the shaker/mixing glass before adding the rest of the ingredients. Also note that 2 dashes of bitter in an otherwise alcohol-free drink won’t raise the overall ABV of the drink: the drink will indeed chemically contain a drop of alcohol, but won’t make you intoxicated at all. Depending on your reason for not drinking alcohol and your degree of tolerance on the topic, you can choose to omit the bitters or to include them in your preparation.
  • Proceed As Usual: Use these non-alcoholic substitutes instead of the regular ingredients, follow the original steps, and enjoy a non-alcoholic version.
However, keep in mind that, as the Satan’s Whiskers cocktail is mostly made out of alcoholic ingredients, it can be hard to recreate its flavor using only non-alcoholic substitutes; the overall flavor and mouthfeel will probably change greatly from the original drink. In order to make the perfect mocktail version of this drink, you may have to revise the quantity of each ingredient depending on the specific substitute you decide to use.

Making it Vegan:

This cocktail is already vegan-friendly as it doesn't contain any animal products.