The Frezier Affair

1.5 oz white rum

.5 oz yellow Chartreuse or Verviene du Velay

3-5 alpine strawberries

3-4 lemon verbena leaves

1 lemon wedge

Reserve one small strawberry or a slice for garnish.  Squeeze lemon wedge into a cocktail shaker and add the other ingredients.  Gently crush the berries and herbs with a muddler.  Shake over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a strawberry.

This is a twist on a recipe from The Drunken Botanist that celebrates the contributions of Amédée-François Frézier, who introduced Chilean strawberries to Europe.  Crosses between the Chilean strawberries and European alpine strawberries led to the large, ripe, juicy berries we enjoy today.  The yellow Chartreuse, a French herbal liqueur, is a nod to Frézier’s nationality, as is the more strongly lemon verbena-flavored Verviene.