Jason Sorbet’s Golden Hour cocktail is a love letter to a magical moment that occurs each evening in the pool area of The Chloe Hotel. “At sunset, the whole place glows a warm pink.”
Its inspiration is the Corpse Reviver, a popular pre-prohibition cocktail. The Golden Hour uses a honey-anise Mayan liqueur, which is a more delicate flavor than the absinthe featured in the original. He keeps things local with New Orleans-made Gravier gin. The Golden Hour’s signature rose hue comes from La Madre Rosa, a Spanish vermouth infused with strawberries. Peychaud’s bitters and grapefruit also add to the delicate pink tint. Sorbet, a New Orleans native, was a neuroscience major who picked up some bar shifts during school. After watching a colleague make a La Louisiane and wow a guest with both cocktail history and panache, Sorbet remembered. “He made that guest feel amazing. In that moment, I fell in love with being behind a bar.”
Sorbet notes that one of the pleasures of visiting (and working at) The Chloe is how diverse the spaces there are. “You can sleep, swim, drink or dine... or all four.” Each area has its own unique personality. When asked his favorite time there, Sorbet admitted his answer is a little obvious. “I really love the golden hour during summer. The weather is cooling off and the bright pink color looks otherworldly. Everyone should experience that.” As the summer season approaches, put both “golden hours” on your to do list.
- You can replace La Madre Rosa by infusing a 750 ml bottle of blanc vermouth with a pint of sliced strawberries. Let sit in the fridge for two days, then it’s ready to use.
- Gravier gin can be replaced with a Plymouth style gin, which has higher citrus flavors and fewer botanicals
- If you can’t find the Mayan liqueur D’Aristi Xtabentun, use anisette liqueur or Herbsaint.
