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Cocktail History
The Grand Galliano is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Nick Mautone at the Rainbow Room in New York City, New York and was first published in his book The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails. Fittingly described as an “adult creamsicle,” the recipe shakes its two namesake ingredients, Galliano Liqueur and Grand Marnier, with heavy cream to create a fascinatingly unique, herbal, and tastefully sweet dessert drink.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Liquore Galliano L’Autentico: This is a liqueur made in Italy with vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint, lavender, juniper, musk yarrow, star anise, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try licorice extract in place of the Galliano liqueur.
Orange Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with oranges, sugar, and brandy or rum. We used Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge because it has a rich Cognac base with notes of bitter orange, hazelnut, and toffee. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Triple Sec Syrup in place of the orange liqueur.
Heavy Cream: This is a thick, high-fat milk product. We used use half & half instead of heavy cream because it’s lower in calories. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative in place of the cream.
Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.
Grated Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seed of a nutmeg tree. We used whole nutmeg from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. We used the OXO Good Grips Grater.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Grand Galliano features complex aromas of orange, nutmeg, and Galliano’s sweet anise notes, and it follows with a creamy, thick texture that features notes of orange, anise, and brandy, all with a distinctive herbal quality while held in the mouth and a pleasant bitterness on the swallow.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We had no idea what to expect when we sat down to taste the Grand Galliano, and it became a fast favorite, with its distinctive flavors and silky mouthfeel that is sure to please just about any palate.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I found this drink to be absolutely delicious. It takes Galliano’s fascinatingly unique flavor profile, accents it with just the right amount of citrus and brandy flavor, and adds body with heavy cream. This results in a decadent and thick mouthfeel with heady flavors and a unique herbal blend that gives a ton of character. I would definitely make this one again for friends and family after our holiday get-together dinners.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Out of all the cocktails we’ve tried from Nick Mautone’s The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails, this one’s in my top three favorites. It has such a unique taste—almost like a vanilla spiced custard with the tiniest hint of mint. It’s also thick, creamy, and indulgent, which makes it a perfect post-dinner drink around the holidays.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Artisanal Kitchen: Holiday Cocktails by Nick Mautone.
Add Galliano, orange curaçao, heavy cream, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with orange twist.
Ingredients
Directions
Add Galliano, orange curaçao, heavy cream, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with orange twist.
Make It a Mocktail: Use licorice extract in place of the Galliano liqueur and Monin Premium Triple Sec Syrup in place of the orange liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Mocha Spiced Rum Russian: A rum cocktail made with pumpkin spice syrup, coffee liqueur, heavy cream, caramel sauce, coffee and cocoa bitters, and coffee beans
Gingerbread Martini: A vanilla vodka cocktail made with dry vermouth, hazelnut liqueur, gingerbread syrup, and star anise
Cousin Eddie’s Irish Eggnog: A whiskey cocktail made with eggnog, vanilla extract, and grated nutmeg
Peppermint Bark Eggnog: A rum and brandy cocktail made with heavy cream, white crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, simple syrup, egg, crushed candy canes, and peppermint bark dust
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