When I was a little girl I was part of the Girl Guides of Canada, first as a ‘Spark, then a ‘Brownie’ and ultimately a ‘Girl Guide’. Alas, my Girl Guide career was cut short when I quickly realized that you actually had to work and it wasn’t just braiding, making s’mores and creating macaroni frames for my Mom. Sigh… anyway, one thing that I did learn from my experience as a girl guide, was that I hated selling things. Be that as it may, if you’re going to sell something, it might as well be cookies. Who doesn’t like cookies?? Back in the day, I was off peddling the Classic Vanilla and Chocolate cookies, that’s it, that’s all. Now, don’t get me wrong they are tasty cookies (even more so when snuck out of the freezer by you and your brother) but they are no Thin Mints, the cookies that are offered by the Girl Scouts in the U.S.. Now that many years have passed since my cooking selling days, I can console myself by enjoying Thin Mints cookies the more grown-up (and way more fun) way, in a cocktail glass. To that end, I raise a glass to all of the Girl Guide/Scout leaders out there for the amazing work that you do in helping raise our girls to become well-rounded, kind and generous young women. You chicks rock.
Note: No Girl Scouts were harmed in the making of these cocktails
Girl Scout
1/2 stick large chocolate-mint stick (e.g. After Eight)
1 splash crème de menthe
1 ounce crème de cacao
1 ounce vodka
Shake the vodka and crème de cacao with ice, then pour into a cocktail glass. Add the crème de menthe and garnish with the mint stick.
Comments: Obviously there is no chocolate mint stick ‘swizzling’ this cocktail. Two reasons for this: 1) I couldn’t find any and 2) If I did manage to find any, I would have eaten all of the remaining sticks in the box. As my next community theatre musical (Sound of Music) opens in 2 1/2 weeks and one of my dresses is a wee bit tight, the result of item 2 would have been disastrous. There’s only so much time one has to spend on the treadmill….
Tasting Notes: ‘warm afterglow’; reminiscent of fireside cocktails after a day of skiing; almost too sweet (borderline); minty aftertaste, with the mint tempering the sweetness
Girl Scout Cookie Shooter
1/2 oz coffee liqueur
1/2 oz Irish cream liqueur
1/2 oz peppermint schnapps
Layer ingredients in the order as listed, being very careful to merely ‘float’ each liqueur on top.
Comments: Okay, this was pretty much a layering nightmare! It actually ended up more layered than it appears in the photo, but it still isn’t perfect :(. Mind you, what I found is that all of these ingredients mixed together and served over ice makes for a very, very tasty tipple! One suggestion for layering, is if you have a BBQ afficionado in your house, pull out the marinade injector. It does a pretty good job, especially if you’re using a tall skinny shot glass like the one in the photo above.
Tasting Notes: Mmmmmmm….mint forward, coffee/chocolate back; “heaven in a shot glass”; would almost prefer it all mixed together as the last layer (the coffee liqueur) is very strong – or you could just shoot the friggin’ thing, as it is a shooter!!
Dirty Girl Scout
1 oz vodka
1 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz Irish cream liqueur
1 oz white crème de menthe
Mix the vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream liqueur in a shaker over ice and strain into a rocks glass. Pour the crème de menthe down the center of the glass and serve.
Comments: I can’t let this go without commenting on the name. Seriously?? Anyway, it is tasty, and as it is an alcoholic beverage, l expect that everyone is at least 18 (if you live in Quebec) so the name shouldn’t be too offensive. As for the mega-alcohol content, stick with one only folks, or make sure that you have a DD by your side.
Tasting Notes: very smooth (that sorta comes with the territory when a cream liqueur is in the mix); mint isn’t too overpowering but still adds a nice hint of it; decent chocolate aftertaste; slight ‘alcohol’ taste; “a girly drink, but even former boy scouts can get away with drinking it’