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Cocktail History
The Grand Galliano is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Nick Mautone of the Rainbow Room in New York City, New York and was first published in his book in 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 drink.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Liquore Galliano L’Autentico: This is the base liqueur. It’s a sweet herbal Italian liqueur made with vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint, lavender, juniper, musk yarrow, and star anise.
Orange Curaçao: This is the other base liqueur. It’s a citrus liqueur that adds sweet orange flavor. We used Grand Marnier for its notes of Cognac, orange, and vanilla bean. For a low-proof version of this drink, try Monin Triple Sec Curaçao Syrup in place of the orange curaçao.
Heavy Cream: This is a thick, high-fat milk product. We prefer to use half & half instead of heavy cream because it’s lower in calories.
Orange Twist: This is one of the garnishes. It adds a hint of citrus aroma.
Grated Nutmeg: This is the other garnish. It adds a hint of holiday flavors and aromas.
Tasting Notes
The Grand Galliano features complex aromas of orange, nutmeg, and Galliano’s sweet anise-like scent, 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 this one, 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 Monin Triple Sec Curaçao Syrup in place of the orange curaçao to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Tools & Glassware We Recommend
More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas 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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