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Firewater is a fair description and Phillip Island is a small place off the coast of Victoria, best known for penguins and motorcycle racing. How the two ended up attached to a drink made of Cointreau and Drambuie is not recorded, and honestly the mystery suits it.
The Phillip Island Firewater is two liqueurs, an ounce each, nothing else. Cointreau is clean and citrus-forward at 40 percent, which is stronger than most people register because it tastes so bright. Drambuie is Scotch whisky sweetened with heather honey and spiced, softer and rounder and considerably more serious. Together they make something that drinks like an after-dinner cordial and adds up like a double, which is the trap in the name and the reason the recipe lists ice as optional rather than assumed.
Glass: Old-fashioned glass | Strength: Strong | Serves: 1 | Prep Time: 2 minutes
Bartender’s tip: Chill it rather than dilute it. Keep both bottles cold, or stir briefly over ice and strain, and you get the aromatic honey and orange character without watering down two ounces of liqueur into something limp. If you do want it longer, a splash of soda works better than melting ice, since it lengthens the drink without flattening the spice.
Steps
- Stir: Combine the Cointreau and Drambuie in an old-fashioned glass.
- Serve: Serve with or without ice.
