Looking through my recipe book, I’m really shocked I haven’t made this yet. It’s also the first Galliano cocktail here on the blog, and I’m down to the last 1/4 of the bottle. The Milano is a simple, but classy recipe with a wonderful yellow color.

The drink greets you with a pleasant citrus and anise aroma. It’s starts with a very gin forward flavor, moves to a herbal citrus near the mid-back palette, and finishes with a balanced herbal and anise flavor brought by the Galliano. Galliano can be pretty harsh if you’ve never tried it before with it’s vanilla and anise notes, but this drink really rounds it out to make you go back for more. That herbal quality that runs through the whole drink intensifies and the drink sits in your stomach. It’s almost as if the flavor gets better after the first sip.

Certainly worth a try if you have some Galliano, but if you’re not willing to buy it’s obnoxious bottle, feel free to pass it by. Also the choice of a more juniper forward gin and/or a dash of herbal bitters (such as cardamom or lavender) could make this a great aperitif cocktail for guests. Normally I’d add some sort of garnish to a drink like this (on top of the original drink), but the color of this is so spectacular that a garnish would l feel would ruin it.

Alcohol Taste Rating: 8/10
Overall Rating: 8/10

Milano

1 1/2 oz Gin
1 1/2 oz Galliano
1 oz Lemon Juice

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.