Hot Charlotte by Sheri Wetherell/Foodista.

Drink of the Week: Hot Charlotte

Much like Rob Gordon in High Fidelity, many of us have a hidden desire to be someone’s muse, whether it’s having a song or poem written about us, or being the subject of someone’s painting. If you’re a booze nerd, you want a great cocktail named after you — invariably, whenever you see a drink named after someone, you always wonder what the back story is.

During a recent visit to the Zig Zag Café in Seattle, I tried a drink called the Hot Charlotte, created by bartender Murray Stenson. To my surprise, it turned out that, despite being over 3,000 miles from home, I knew the Charlotte in question. She is Charlotte Voisey, the representative for Hendrick’s gin, and it has been widely noted (or at least whispered) that she is hot.

The Hendrick’s in the recipe has floral and less junipery flavors that play best with cucumber, and the cocktail is made incendiary with a few dashes of Tabasco. While it is delicious, it is best served as the last drink or chased with something containing a high fat content. Even if you’re a heat head, you will feel a lasting tingle on your lips, and your palate will be slightly numbed — much like how most of us feel around a pretty guy or girl.

How to make your own Hot Charlotte, after the jump.