Saturn

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Cocktail History

The Saturn is a classic tiki cocktail that was created in 1967 by Joseph “Popo” Galsini in California. Named for the Saturn rocket that sent Apollo into space, the recipe combines several traditional tiki ingredients including citrus, passion fruit, velvet falernum, and orgeat in a frosty, blended format, but instead of rum, it uses herbal gin as the base spirit.

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.

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

Passion Fruit Syrup: This is a sweetener made with passion fruit pulp, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a tropical, fruity flavor.

Velvet Falernum Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with limes, almonds, cloves, ginger root, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, spiced Caribbean flavor.

Orgeat Syrup: This is a sweetener made with almonds, white sugar, and water, which are blended and flavored with orange flower water to develop a nutty, floral sweetness.

Lime Peel: This is the peel of a lime that has been rolled and stuck on a cocktail pick.

Brandied Cherry: This is a type of stone fruit made by soaking maraschino cherries in brandy, water, and spices to make a rich, fruity syrup.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Dancing Goat Distillery Death’s Door Gin
• 🔗 Liber & Co. Tropical Passion Fruit Syrup
• 🔗 John D. Taylor’s Original Velvet Falernum Liqueur
• 🔗 Liber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup
• 🔗 Luxardo Original Maraschino Cherries

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.

Blender: This is an electric kitchen appliance with rotating blades that’s used for blending, puréeing, and emulsifying ingredients.

Cocktail Pick: This is a small, slender skewer made from metal, wood, or bamboo that’s used for holding cocktail garnishes in place.

Lowball Glass: This is a short, wide glass with a thick base that’s used for serving cocktails with ice or spirits neat.

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
• 🔗 Ninja UltraCrush Professional Blender
• 🔗 Homestia Planet Series Metal Cocktail Pick Set
• 🔗 Arc Cardinal Arcoroc Salto Rocks Glass

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale transluscent yellow color

• Aroma: Citrus and passion fruit with a hint of almond

• Taste: Bright and tangy mix of lemon and passionfruit balanced by the nutty sweetness of orgeat syrup and the smooth herbal undertones of gin

• Finish: Crisp and tropical with a lingering sweet-tart fruitiness and a delicate almond note

Kendall’s Take
“The Saturn is one of those tropical cocktails that caught my eye because it uses gin instead of the rum you usually see in tiki drinks. The combination of citrus, passion fruit, and orgeat still brings plenty of bright island flavor, just with a slightly different personality. It’s a fun change of pace if you like seeing classic tropical ingredients paired with unexpected base spirits. Mix one up the next time you’re craving a summery gin drink with a tiki twist.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Steve The Bartender’s Cocktail Guide by Steve Roennfeldt.