Under The Volcano

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Cocktail History

The Under The Volcano is a modern cocktail that was created in 2011 by Kyle Davidson in Chicago, Illinois. Believed to have been named for the 1947 novel by Malcolm Lowry, the drink starts with a few ingredients from the Last Word template, including lime and Chartreuse, but it swaps out the classic's gin base for tequila and reaches for Cynar in lieu of maraschino liqueur before sweetening it all with a bit of agave syrup.

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Cocktail Ingredients

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

Tequila Añejo: This is a type of tequila made in Mexico with blue agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged from one to three years in oak barrels. I used Camarena Añejo Tequila.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Cynar: This is a liqueur made in Italy with artichokes, herbs, spices, sugar, and alcohol.

Yellow Chartreuse: This is a liqueur made in France with over a hundred herbs and plants, spices, sugar, and alcohol.

Agave Syrup: This is a sweetener that is made from the fluid inside agave plants. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

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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.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Golden yellow color

• Aroma: Herbal and agave notes

• Taste: Citrus and a combination of tequila, slightly bitter herbs, and tangy citrus

• Finish: Unique earthy, bitter notes

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "Add this to the list of cocktails that gave me no clue what to expect at its tasting. Aside from the telltale agave flavor of tequila and its common counterpart lime, I wasn't sure what would happen when herbal Chartreuse and bitter Cynar were added to the mix. It was... odd. That's the only way I can describe the Under The Volcano. The Chartreuse gets lost a bit, in my opinion, but the Cynar is definitely there, especially in the aftertaste. I don't like the artichoke liqueur myself, but if ever there was a palatable introduction to that ingredients, this would be it."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Mezcal + Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave by Robert Simonson.