Alaska Recipe

What is a Liqueur?
The alcoholic drink Chartreuse is an aromatic green or yellow liqueur flavored with Alpine herbs, orange peel, hyssop and peppermint which is made at the Grande Chartreuse, a Carthusian monastery near Grenoble, France. The word 'chartreuse' is derived from the French 'chartreuse' from the Latin 'cartusia' of which the English "charterhouse" is a corruption. Liqueurs are sweet alcoholic drinks which are flavoured with a variety of different ingredients and come in a variety of different colors and included in other drinks such as the Alaska Recipe. The Alcoholic content of liqueurs is not generally a distinctive feature of these speciality drinks. Most liqueurs have a lower alcohol content than spirits between 15% - 30% although some have a much higher alcohol content up to 55%. The name 'liqueur' derives from the Latin word 'liquifacere' which means to melt or dissolve - the flavorings used to make liqueurs, such as contained in the Alaska Recipe, are dissolved. A Liqueur drink might be flavored from a variety of flavors from fruits, herbs, spices, flowers, seeds, nuts, roots, plants, barks, eggs and cream. For interesting facts & information and additional drink recipes containing this famous liqueur please click the following link:

Chartreuse

How to serve the Alaska Recipe
Liqueurs are made in nearly every country of the world and come in a variety of different flavors and colors. This makes every liqueur drink, such as the Alaska Recipe, an extremely versatile drink. The Alaska Recipe can be served:

• Straight up - Perfect as after dinner drinks and usually served at room temperature
• On the rocks - If a cold drink is preferred liqueurs can be chilled and served over ice cubes or mixed with crushed ice
• Served with coffee
• Liqueurs, such as the Alaska Recipe, can be mixed with cream or other mixers to create some really good and extremely colorful liqueur cocktails

Rainbow Liqueur Drinks - Floating Liqueurs
Ever wondered how bartenders create those unusual rainbow effects when making cocktails? They use a method called 'Floating liqueurs' which is achieved by 'floating' a measure of liqueur in a glass by pouring it slowly over an inverted spoon or down a glass rod on top of previous layers. This creates a rainbow effect in a glass when using different colored liqueurs or cordials. Liqueurs are sometimes referred to as Cordials, which causes some confusion. In America a cordial mean a sweet, syrup like alcoholic beverage. However, in the UK a cordial means a non-alcoholic, sweet, syrupy drink!

How to create the best special effects making Alaska Recipe
The following hints and tips will give you some ideas how to make the best special cocktail effects with the Alaska Recipe :

• Serve your classic Alaska Recipe in unusually shaped glasses. Give your glasses a frosted edge by dipping the rim into Lemon juice and then dipping it into sugar. Simple but effective!
• The presentation of your classic Alaska Recipe is all important! Add colorful decorations - drink umbrellas, swizzle sticks , paper flowers, straws and even sparklers! These decorations are all cheap and easy to obtain from your local grocery store
• Add some straws - colored straws are great - just cut them up for small glasses!
• Use cocktail sticks or toothpicks to twist or skewer fruits
• Use slices of fruit to decorate and add a twist to your classic Alaska Recipe
• Add crushed ice - To make crushed ice just place your ice cubes in a plastic bag and crush the ice with a heavy object

Green Chartreuse
Green Chartreuse is the only liqueur in the world with a completely natural green colour which is produced by the inclusion of 130 plants in the recipe. The recipe for green chartreuse is a closely guarded secret that is known by only 3 monks at any time. Only these Carthusian monks know the exact quantities and sorts of plants and flowers that are to be used to create green chartreuse. The Alcohol content in green Chartreuse is 55% (110° proof US). 

Yellow Chartreuse
Yellow Chartreuse is also completely natural with no artificial flavours or preservatives. Yellow Chartreuse was introduced in 1838 and is milder and sweeter than green Chartreuse. The recipe for yellow Chartreuse is also a closely guarded secret, known by only 3 monks at any time. Only these Carthusian monks know the exact quantities and sorts of plants and flowers that are to be used to create yellow chartreuse. The alcohol content of yellow Chartreuse is 40% alcohol (80° proof US).

Exercise your bartending skills, become the bartender of your own personal bar which serves
a great Alaska Recipe!