IMBIBE: Spring Stinger

Has spring sprung yet? The bitch usually does with a sting, at least here in New England, where this idyllic season greets us with hearty slap in the face from sleet, freezing rain or a final snow.

So aptly does this edition’s cocktail come named: Spring Stinger.

The Stinger, a supposedly popular pre-prohibition drink, uses cognac and crème de menthe, shaken, rather than the usual stirring for spirits-only cocktails. This little punchy number has a rather obscure history, noted by some as a favorite of the flyboys in WWII as well as having brief cameos in Hollywood reels of the ’50s (Carey Grant ordered them in Kiss Them for Me).

None of this is news to Elizabeth Sawtelle, of Nick’s on Broadway, and Secretary of the RI chapter of USBG. When asked about her cocktail influences, she thoughtfully said,  “Most prominently the whole Nick’s philosophy and Derek’s style of food … Seasonality, high-quality crafted products, different styles of cocktails to work in different dining applications, and mutual use of great, unique ingredients.” Her take on the Stinger definitely reflects this.

What: Spring Stinger

Found Where: Nick’s on Broadway

Go Get: 

1.5oz Dingle Gin (it’s Irish)

1.5 oz Bigallet Menthe-Pastille*

Dash lime juice

1 egg white

Make: Pour into a tumbler with ice and shake. Strain into a bell-shaped coupe. Garnish with edible flowers or clovers.

When Elizabeth handed this lightly foamed, white silken herbal concoction over, I paused. It’s really pretty. Delicately mint, lightly green. This drink has an early spring pasture effect: momentarily transporting said drinker to an emerald knoll with frolicking lambs while a small Irishman plays a fiddle in the distance.

The sting hits next with a fresh, soft bite on the finish, snapping me back to Nick’s on Broadway’s barstool and the view of slowly melting gray snow outside.

Well, we wouldn’t be living here if we didn’t enjoy a little dysfunction in our seasons, so grab a glass and hold on tight, better days are just around the corner.

*Elizabeth strongly suggests this high-quality French liqueur.