Maiden’s Prayer

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Cocktail History

The Maiden’s Prayer is a classic cocktail that was first published in American Bar: English & American Drink Recipes by Frank P. Newman. It’s traditionally made with gin, rum, orange liqueur, and Meyer lemon juice, and it got its name because it was known as being a “date-peeler” that would have been served to a young lady by a young man while she was “on the edge of a couch” according to Esquire.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Gin: This is a spirit made by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals to develop a distinctive, aromatic flavor.

White Rum: This is a type of rum made with fermented sugarcane juice or molasses and yeast, which are distilled and then typically left unaged or briefly aged and filtered to develop a light, spiced flavor.

Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter orange peels, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, bright citrus flavor.

Meyer Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe Meyer lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Meyer Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a Meyer lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Bartending Tools

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

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Delicate yellow color

• Aroma: Citrus

• Taste: Botanical-forward gin flavor mixed with heavy orange and a hint of rum

• Finish: More dry gin and sweet citrus notes

Kendall’s Take: “I had never heard of this cocktail before I found it in the book and wasn’t really sure what to expect of it. It turns out it’s just a simple bright, boozy, and citrusy drink that has a nice sweet lemon flavor thanks to the Meyer lemon. I tried the Maiden’s Prayer with both conventional lemons and Meyer lemons, and I do think the Meyer lemon makes it better. If you’re interested in trying this ‘date peeler,’ I would splurge on those to get the full experience.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.