If a classic gin martini is the drink of the yacht club, this is its saltier, flirtier cousin. Still crisp. Still composed. But with a little softness from elderflower and a whisper of fino sherry to echo the sea.
It’s refined without being fussy. Easy to batch or shake à la minute. And, like the boat it was created on, it’s built on tradition with just enough edge to feel fresh.
We created this cocktail in honor of Holiday, a 1951 Herreshoff H-28 that we had the joy of cooking on and sailing aboard during our time in Maine. The Herreshoff name carries serious weight in the maritime world. L. Francis Herreshoff, who designed the H-28 during World War II, believed deeply in simplicity, elegance, and the kind of boats that didn’t just move through water, they moved people.
This particular boat was part of a post-war dream. Plans for the H-28 were published in Rudder Magazine, and word has it soldiers carried them overseas, imagining peace, imagining a future they could build with their own hands. After the war, people did exactly that: they built H-28s in backyards, with patience and purpose. Holiday, built in Canada in 1951, is a living piece of that story.
We wanted to make a drink that felt like it belonged in her cockpit at sunset. Classic. Romantic. Designed to slow you down.
Ingredients:
1. Shake the cocktail: In a shaker, combine gin, St. Germain, lemon juice, and a splash of fino sherry. Add ice and shake for 20–30 seconds, until chilled and slightly frothy.
2. Serve: Strain into two chilled glasses (coupes, rocks, or whatever you’ve got). Express a lemon twist over each and drop it in.
Take the elevator: Swap half the gin for aquavit for a botanical upgrade, or top with tonic for a longer, low-octane sipper.
When you sit on her deck with a cocktail like this one in hand, you understand what L. Francis Herreshoff was after: a craft that connects you to the elements, and to something deeper than yourself.
So cheer's to SV Holiday. Here’s to tradition. To reinvention. And to cocktails that taste like the end of a good day at sea. If you're feeling inspired, by this dish, and the story behind it, you can follow along with Luc and Holiday's adventures on Instagram: @HolidayInMaine. We highly recommend doing so.
And, if you haven't already, be sure to check out or fresh halibut en papillote dish, The Holiday. It pairs perfectly with these cocktails!
Cheers,
Max & Theresa