Jim Kearns describes this drink as perfect for early autumn. “A Martini is a bright, summery drink,” he explains. By comparison, “an Alaska’s got that saffron-honey quality from the yellow Chartreuse, and that’s bolstered by the softness of the Old Tom gin,” a lightly sweetened style. Taken together, it’s a Martini-style drink with less bite and a little more roundness.
In addition, Kearns readily admits that the 2 1/4 measure of gin is “a little funky,” so he offers this nifty trick: fill a 3/4-ounce jigger three times with gin, which adds up to 2 1/4 total. That same 3/4-ounce jigger can then be used to measure the yellow Chartreuse. “You don’t even have to switch jiggers!”