The Foxtail

Rather than dig up an old school cocktail, here’s a more recent concoction from the States, originally designed to showcase London-distilled Oxley gin. No Oxley in the ol’ Mother Hubbard I’m afraid, but after doing some research on Oxley, it seemed that ol’, ever-reliable Tanqueray 10 might be a suitable replacement in terms of its proof and botanical profile (whole white grapefruit, it seems, is common to both gins).

Sadly, no white grapefruit to be found at my local grocers, so in another last minute sub, in went ruby grapefruit to take its place. With two of the three key ingredients absent, I’m not even sure I should be dubbing this a Foxtail, but improvisation is a necessary part of life at times. On top of that, not crediting Rumor Lounge's Thomas Kunick for the inspiration would be a dog act.

To taste: rich, viscous, a distinct caramel top note to the citrusy palate. There's some almond tucked away in there and the cleansing, dry finish is, what I call, aperitif-like. Although not my usual style of gin drink, there’s a lot to commend about (this knock-off of) The Foxtail. I get the feeling the drink was missing the extra tartness white grapefruit brings to the party, so I’ll be mixing this again once I get my hands on some: hopefully tomorrow if I get lucky with the growers at the Manning Farmers Market.

The Foxtail
(Adapted from a recipe by Thomas Kunick, Rumor Lounge, Las Vegas, NV, published in Gaz Regan’s Annual Manual for Bartenders 2011. Although if you subscribe to Mr Regan's excellent free newsletter, you might have received this recipe - for nix! - in the last week or so.)

30ml Tanqueray 10
30ml DOM Bénédictine
30ml fresh-squeeze ruby grapefruit juice

Shake over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.