Squid Mixes: Tailspin

A Tailspin is a minor variant on the Bijou Cocktail.  Both combine gin, green Chartreuse, sweet veremouth and orange bitters (though some Tailspin recipes include Campari instead of the bitters).  According to The New York Bartender's Guide, it's just the proportions that differ.  Bijou is 3:2:2 while Tailspin is 4:3:3 (gin:Chartreuse:vermouth).  In effect, that means more Chartreuse and vermouth per volume which, for me, enhances the anise flavor of the drink.  I imagine Campari would bring more bitterness and a more reddish tint.  The recipe calls for lemon twist and cherry for garnish.  I went with orange instead of lemon as it was readily at hand.

The Tailspin is one of many aviation-inspired drinks invented in the 1910s and '20s.  It was a coincidental and perhaps strange choice on an evening when roads were slippery with snow.