CLASSIC · CALVADOS (APPLE BRANDY)

Widow's Kiss

Name: Widow's Kiss
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 drink
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Calvados (apple brandy); 15 ml Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur; 15 ml Yellow Chartreuse; 2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters; Maraschino cherries (2, skewered)

A forgotten gem of the pre-Prohibition era, the Widow's Kiss layers the orchard warmth of Calvados with the cloistered herbal complexity of Bénédictine and Yellow Chartreuse, tied together by a whisper of bitters.

Ingredients

Calvados (apple brandy)45 ml

Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur15 ml

Yellow Chartreuse15 ml

Angostura Aromatic Bitters2 dashes

Maraschino cherries (2, skewered)

Glassware

Nick & Nora

Chilled.

Flavor

Anise · Apple · Butterscotch · Cardamom · Honey · Oak · Vanilla

Estimated profile

A cigar alongside More like this

Method

1
Chill a Nick & Nora glass in the freezer or with ice water.
2
Combine Calvados, Bénédictine, and Yellow Chartreuse in a mixing glass.
3
Add Angostura bitters.
4
Fill the mixing glass with large ice cubes and stir for 20–25 seconds until well chilled and properly diluted.
5
Discard the chilling ice from the serving glass.
6
Strain the cocktail into the chilled Nick & Nora glass.
7
Garnish with 2 maraschino cherries on a cocktail pick.

From the Bartender

The Widow's Kiss was created by George Kappeler at the Holland House hotel in New York and published in his 1895 book 'Modern American Drinks.' Using Yellow Chartreuse rather than Green is essential - its softer, more honeyed character keeps the drink balanced rather than overwhelming the Calvados.

Rating

Be the first to log this drink.

Open the app → tap the cocktail → log a sip.

Try next

Cocktails like this one

Straight Rye Whiskey

Monte Carlo

Warming and spirit-forward, with rye's peppery spice softened by Bénédictine's rich herbal sweetness - hints of honey, dried herbs, and gentle citrus oil linger through a long, dry finish.

Strucchi Dry Vermouth

Chrysanthemum Cocktail

Delicately herbal and floral on the nose, with the honeyed spice of Bénédictine softened by dry vermouth and a subtle anise lift from the absinthe; the finish is dry, aromatic, and lingering.

Amaro Montenegro

M & M

Smoky and spirit-forward with waves of bitter orange, caramel, and dried herbs from the Montenegro balanced against the earthy, charred depth of mezcal. Rich and warming on the finish with a bittersweet complexity that lingers beautifully.

Straight Rye Whiskey

La Louisiane

Rich and warming, with spicy rye and bittersweet vermouth anchoring a wave of herbal complexity from Bénédictine, while anise-forward absinthe and floral Peychaud's bitters add depth and a lingering, gently bitter finish.

Make this from your shelf

Scan your bottles, learn what you can pour right now.

My Bar Shelf reads your shelf and shows you every cocktail you can make from what you already own, including Widow's Kiss.