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Cocktail History
The Oxford Comma is a modern cocktail that was created by Jeremy Oertel at Dram in New York City, New York. The inspiration for the recipe came from the Loop Tonic, one of Oertel’s favorite shaken tequila drinks. According to The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH, he aimed to combine many of the flavors of the original, including vermouth, Green Chartreuse, and celery, but in a stirred, citrus-free format. Instead, it uses gin as the base spirit, celery shrub as a substitute for the savory, tart flavors of lime juice and celery bitters, and adds cherry liqueur for balance.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We chose Uncle Val’s Peppered Gin because it has a juniper-forward taste with notes of red pepper, black pepper, and pimento. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Maraschino Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with Maraschino cherries, honey, herbs, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Luxardo Maraschino Orginale Liqueur because it has a distinct earthy aroma and sweet cherry flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Trader Vic’s Premium Maraschino Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur.
Dry Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry because it has a light and airy flavor profile with notes of Alpine herbs. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the dry vermouth.
Green Chartreuse: This is a liqueur made in France with over a hundred herbs and plants, spices, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try winter herb syrup in place of the Green Chartreuse.
Celery Shrub: This is a syrup made with celery juice, honey, sugar, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar, and Everclear. We made ours at home using Alex’s shrub recipe.
Lemon Peel: This is the peel of a lemon that has been cut into a strip.
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.
Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
The Oxford Comma features aromas of savory celery and very faint lemon and has a dry, herbal initial taste of Maraschino and Chartreuse. While held in the mouth, the sweetness comes forward along with the peppery gin, and the swallow leaves you with a dose of herbal, bitter notes of celery shrub and Chartreuse.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We both found this cocktail fascinating. It took our tastebuds on some very unexpected turns, and it also gave Alex a chance to make our first homemade shrub, which will be fun to use for experimentation in other recipes. Neither of us is sure we’d add this one into our rotation, but we’re glad we got to experience it at least once.
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: ⭐⭐⭐
“Damn, what a crazy drink these guys came up with. It takes a few notes from the Last Word (gin, Chartreuse, and Maraschino), but the gin is dialed up, the liqueurs are dialed back, and dry vermouth is substituted in place to add body without too much contrasting flavor. The real star of the show is the celery shrub, which is used in tiny proportion but makes a huge difference, lending bitterness, aroma, and flavor. It definitely wouldn’t be the same drink without it, and this marks the first shrub cocktail we’ve tried and featured. Ours is homemade, inspired by a simple recipe found online, and it really does make this cocktail unique.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“There’s really not much that can be said about this recipe other than that it’s definitely fascinating. The celery shrub was a nice touch and added lots of unexpected flavor. I’m always impressed with Alex’s bartending skills, but he really knocked the making of his first shrub out of the park. I probably won’t request this specific drink again because I like the Last Word better, but I found it savory without being too dry for someone like me who typically prefers sweeter drinks.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Add gin, maraschino liqueur, dry vermouth, Green Chartreuse, celery shrub, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon peel.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, maraschino liqueur, dry vermouth, Green Chartreuse, celery shrub, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon peel.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the dry vermouth, winter herb syrup in place of the Green Chartreuse, and Trader Vic’s Premium Maraschino Cherry Syrup in place of the cherry liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Modern Classic Cocktails
If you like this cocktail recipe, here are a few other modern classics we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Boo Radley: A bourbon cocktail made with Cynar, cherry liqueur, a lemon peel, and an orange peel
Mott & Mulberry: A rye cocktail made with Luxardo Amaro Abano, apple cider, lemon juice, Demerara syrup, and apple slices
White Negroni: A gin cocktail made with Lillet Blanc, Suze, and a lemon peel
Paper Plane: A bourbon cocktail made with Aperol, Amaro Nonino Quintessentia, lemon juice, and a lemon peel
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