After work tonight I went to a Grand Marnier tasting tonight at the Crown Liquors and the lady behind the counter was making a Grand Smash and a Grand Chill. She handed me a Grand Smash; it was pretty good. The drink is actually pretty simple to make. You take 1/2 ounce of Grand Marnier, four chunks of lemon (1/2 lemon cut into four pieces) and six-eight mint leaves. Smash it all together, pour it over ice, and there you have it. She taught me how to make it while I was standing there, which was a nice touch.
The Grand Chilled is even easier than that. You take a rocks glass, put a few ice cubes in it, and fill the glass with Grand Marnier. For that extra flavor squeeze a lemon or lime on top.
When I was leaving the lady who was preparing the drinks (she was quite nice) handed me a recipe card in case I wanted to try these at home. The official directions for how to prepare a Grand Smash are as follows:
Muddle mint leaves and lemon wedges in a tall mixing glass. Add Grand Marnier and ice and shake vigorously. Strain over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a fresh mint sprig.
Sounds good, right?
When I first tasted the drink, I about spit it out. It was horrible. But then I let the flavors hang out in my mouth for a minute and decided to give it another shot. The second, third, and forth sip were much better. You get all of the flavors one at a time, with the lemon starting off strong out of the gate. Then the mint hits you, followed by the chill of the Grand Marnier. By the time you have experienced all of these flavors, you are back to the lemon zing that is left over begging for another drink.
If you have not had Grand Marnier before, it is also good in a margarita or on the rocks. The colder the better I always say.
What are some of your favorite cordials?
