Love & Murder

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Cocktail History

The Love & Murder is a modern cocktail that was created by bartender Nick Bennett at Porchlight in New York City, New York.

It uniquely combines Campari and Green Chartreuse, which are two of the most divisive liqueurs in the world, as the base in equal parts, and it pairs them with sour citrus, simple syrup, and salt to create a savory yet sweet recipe. Although it could be interpreted as a nod to the ingredients, the drink was named for the broadway play The Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder because Bennett knew the Broadway actors who frequent the bar would enjoy the reference.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Campari: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a blend of gentian root, herbs, spices, and citrus, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bold, bitter orange flavor.

Green Chartreuse: This is a liqueur made in France with a blend of 130 plants, bark, roots, spices, and flowers, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are macerated, blended, and then aged to develop a complex, herbal flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Saline Solution: This is a flavoring made by dissolving salt in water to develop a salty flavor that’s used to enhance other ingredients.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Campari
• 🔗 Green Chartreuse
• 🔗 Liber & Co. Classic Pure Cane Gum Syrup

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Coupe Glass: This is a stemmed glass with a shallow, wide bowl that’s used for serving shaken cocktails and sparkling drinks without ice.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 Cocktail Kingdom Leopold Coupe Glass

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Alluring orange-red color

• Aroma: Herbs and citrus

• Taste: Sweet yet bitter orange notes, blended herbs, and tart lime

• Finish: Lingering bitterness

Kendall’s Take: “I never, ever thought I’d be using the words ‘Campari’ and ‘overly sugary’ in the same sentence, but here we are. I was intrigued the first time I came across the Love & Murder because I had no clue what to expect of a Campari and Green Chartreuse drink. Since I wanted to try something more serious alongside a few other kitschy Valentine’s Day cocktails, I added it to my calendar, and I’m quite glad I made it. It’s bizarre how sweet the drink ends up being given the bitterness of the Italian liqueur, but it’s still quite tasty. I don’t know if I’d make it with these exact specifications again, but it’s worth trying as a starting point.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the publication Liquor.com.