Sniqueurs Martini
It’ll be my Birthday on Thursday, what a deal. To celebrate the occasion I’ll hand out my all-time best loved drink recipe, the Sniqueurs (snick-ers) martini. Born in a quiet bar in Lincoln, Nebraska, this chocolate asskicker came to be loved…especially by women. 1, 2, 3 strikes you’re out… Sweet, and deceptively strong, I named it weirdly…due to not wanting a lawsuit. The ingredients are a real giveaway though: liqueurs and spirits of the appropriate nut, chocolate, nougat, and caramel flavors.
The history of this fine beverage is pretty simple. If you somehow missed the boom of Swingers, the retro Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, boozin, etc. it’s hard to explain. Let’s assume you were there to enjoy it, and if not, you missed out big. I don’t care if you you dance or listen to jazz, “swanky” is good for the libido, almost guaranteed. Around this time, the jewel of my favorite drinks, the Martini, got a real popularity face-lift in the form of “flavored” martinis. But wait, no, Citron or Vanil weren’t enough, these hand-grenades were also given a boost by mixing…just about anything…in. Fruits, ice and all sorts of more convential ‘tini sins.
So, I was hanging out behind a bar, shirt and tie, sleeves up for dishes. I broke open the liquor order which had just arrived, and noticed a strange liqueur–Cuarenta Y’Tres. Otherwise known as Licor 43. Caramel. Caramel? What the hell can I do with a $30 bottle of caramel. So I thought, as I looked over the pyramid of crystal, glass and flammables which I’d chosen so carefully. My eyes settled on a bottle which is (sadly) no longer sold. Had the poor “Chocolate Truffles” company lasted a tad longer, they’d have seen a shitload of sales (at least from my bar). Then to the Frangelico, and then… and so it was born.
I rushed out to the store to pick up some “bite-size” snicker bars, figured out a whopping $5.50 pricetag, and sold them like water with Evian pasted on it. I still see it today, served by the finest local establishments, in the same odd and exciting way, with the chocolate candy squished onto the rim.
I gave this recipe to a place called Doc’s in Lincoln, NE. I forgot about the Licor 43 (Cuarenta Y Tres), and to this day, they won’t correct the problem. Oh well, mine tastes better. I’ll give you the leaded and unleaded versions.
-9oz Martini glass, chilled with ice water
Sniqueurs Martini (leaded)
- 1.5oz Stoli Vanil Vodka (don’t add this if you ain’t got none)
- 1.5oz Frangelico (or preferrably, Nocello) nut-liqueur
- 1.5oz Licor 43
- 1.5oz Chocolate Truffle, substituting Godiva or Godet Dark Chocolate liqueuer
- Shake vigorously and strain, garnish with snicker-bite on the rim. Voila! The Original Treat! Only $100 or so in parts, $0 in labor, $? next-day-aspirin
Sniqueurs Martini (un-leaded)
- 2oz Frangelico (or preferrably, Nocello) nut-liqueur
- 2oz Licor 43
- 2oz Chocolate Truffle, substituting Godiva or Godet Dark Chocolate liqueur
- Shake vigorously and strain, garnish with snicker-bite on the rim. The unleaded original! Good for starters, but see above.
There are a million (or ten) variations, some of which I authorized. Mostly those would be using Kahlua, Dark Creme or some shit, but none of them compare to shelling out for the above ingredients.”
(Reprint OF 1/21/2002 Article)
