Widow’s Kiss
The Quirky Foodster Team

Ingredients
- Calvados (apple brandy) — 45 ml (1 1/2 oz)
- Bénédictine — 22.5 ml (3/4 oz)
- Yellow Chartreuse — 22.5 ml (3/4 oz)
- Angostura bitters — 2 dashes
Method
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a cocktail cherry.
Description: An 1800s apple-brandy classic layering two French liqueurs — Bénédictine and Chartreuse — over a Calvados base.
Cultural Background: First documented in the 1895 Modern American Drinks bartending guide, one of the more elaborate pre-Prohibition recipes still made today.
Tips: Yellow Chartreuse, not green, is correct here — green is significantly stronger and more herbal.
Variations: A dry apple brandy other than true Calvados can substitute if Calvados isn't available.
Serving Suggestion: Serve up, well chilled, as a rich, herbal after-dinner drink.
Nutrition: Approx. 195 kcal per serving
FAQs:
Q: Is Calvados a whiskey?
A: No — it's an apple brandy from Normandy, France, included here for its role in this classic recipe.
- Calvados (apple brandy) — 45 ml (1 1/2 oz)
- Bénédictine — 22.5 ml (3/4 oz)
- Yellow Chartreuse — 22.5 ml (3/4 oz)
- Angostura bitters — 2 dashes

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