Richly satisfying: the Millionaire Cocktail

Feeling rich right now? Like a million bucks? Yeah, me neither. Stock market-shmock market...talk about not worrying about things out of my control. What little discretionary income I have left I have decided to dedicate to the further expansion of my culinary and bibulous boundaries. Like all my money isn't spent there right now, but since I'm setting my goals conservatively these days it seems like a prudent (not to mention satisfying) course through these turbulent times. With that in mind, if I can't live like a millionaire, then at least I can drink like one with the Millionaire Cocktail, as presented in Jason Wilson's ever intoxicating spirits column in The Washington Post. A recent essay he wrote was about replacing expensive bottles of hooch with less expensive alternatives. Great advice contained there. The Millionaire is an old school concoction, and his recipe varies slightly from the original. On first sip I wasn't sure about it....kind of strange with its bourbon-absinthe combo and a slight sweetness from the grenadine. But I have to say it really grew on me, and with the second...and third..and further sips I was really digging it. Absolutely worthy of sharing. You might say richly satisfying!
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Millionaire Cocktail
from Jason WilsonThe Washington Post

Wilson: "This is a variation of a drink that was a standard in early 20th-century cocktail books. The original called for rye whiskey, orange curacao, grenadine and egg white; sometimes a dash or two of pastis or absinthe was included as well. Here, bourbon is used instead of rye, Cointreau instead of orange curacao, and Pernod is a more economical alternative for rinsing the inside of the glass than absinthe would be. Use a pasteurized egg if you are concerned about the risk in eating uncooked eggs. By the way, you might be a millionaire if you can afford to rinse a glass with real absinthe. A new status symbol?"

1 serving

ingredients:
Absinthe or Pernod for rinsing the glass, plus 1/4 ounce absinthe for the cocktail
Ice
2 ounces bourbon
1/2 ounce Cointreau
1/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 to 3 dashes grenadine
1 tablespoon egg white (see headnote)

method:
Use just enough absinthe or Pernod to rinse or coat the inside of a cocktail (martini) glass. Pour out any excess.

Fill a cocktail shaker two-thirds full with ice.

Add the bourbon, Cointreau, lemon juice, grenadine, egg white and the remaining 1/4 ounce of absinthe. Shake vigorously for 60 seconds, then strain into the martini glass.
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