On the winter solstice, there is a Japanese tradition of taking a bath with yuzu, the East Asian citrus that’s like a perfumed hybrid of grapefruit and lemon. According to tradition, a bath with yuzu before the longest night of the year will refresh and protect your body for the coming winter.
We’re well past that particular window, but if you’re open to some liberal interpretation of this tradition, there’s still time to embrace the new year and savor each day’s waxing sunlight with a cocktail that embodies that fresh-start spirit.
This recipe is a variation on the classic cocktail, the Champs-Elysees, which is itself a variation of the sidecar. The latter drink is an original French concoction showcasing Cognac and orange liqueur, specifically Cointreau. Its name supposedly comes from an American World War I army captain who would ride around Paris in a motorcycle sidecar. The Champs-Elysees swaps out Cointreau for green Chartreuse, an intensely herbaceous liqueur made by French monks since 1737 (even today, the mixture is prepared by just two such holy men, supposedly the only people in the world who know the true recipe).
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