The legend of Lady Godiva is something that lives on almost a thousand years after the fact. Was her infamous ride something that actually took place, or is it all fabricated? We’ll discuss that after a bit, but for now, I want to talk about the Godiva martini that bears her name. That’s right, it’s Valentine’s Day, so there’s no better time to post our Godiva Truffletini recipe. For the sex symbol in your life, I can’t think of a better way to express your appreciation. Of wait, yes I can.
Godiva Truffletini
- 1 oz Godiva® chocolate liqueur
- ½ oz Godiva® white chocolate liqueur
- ½ oz top shelf vodka
- Godiva® truffle
- Chocolate shavings
Pour the Godiva dark chocolate liqueur, white chocolate liqueur, and top shelf vodka into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain the drink into a chilled cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with a Godiva“ truffle, if you have one handy. Otherwise, just garnish with chocolate shavings, or just go balls out and use both garnishes. Feel free to double up the proportions of this recipe is you want a larger drink. Drink up and enjoy!
Let me point something out about choosing the vodka for this mixed drink. In the video, I used a middle of the shelf vodka, because that’s just what I usually have on hand. If regular $10–$15 vodka is all you can budget for, it’s not going to kill this drink by any means. If the quality of your vodka is something you feel very strongly about, then absolutely, purchase the best top shelf vodka that you can find. Ketel One, Belvedere, Stolichnaya, and Grey Goose are good examples of top shelf vodka, and Absolut vodka is just fine, too.
You can expect to prep, mix, and garnish this cocktail in about three minutes. I only say it takes that long due to shaving your premium chocolate bar for garnish. Suffice it to say, the Truffletini is meant to be all about decadence and feeling pampered. This is an ideal drink to break out for special occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, or Valentine’s Day. It’s an upscale cocktail, sure, but if you build your liquor collection a little at a time, even blue-collar fellows like myself can serve up relaxation in a cocktail glass once in a while.
Now that we’ve taken care of business with the Godiva Truffletini, let’s dig into some history.
A Brief History of Lady Godiva
According to legend, Lady Godiva was the wife of Leofric, who was Earl of Mercer and Lord of Coventry. In other words, her husband was a man with some power. So, Leofric and Godiva built a monastery for about two dozen monks and an abbot back in 1043. Leofric was given lordship over 24 villages during the dedication ceremony. Subsequently, Lord Leofric imposed heavy taxes on the populace, and Lady Godiva was constantly pleading with her husband to ease up on the tax-burdened citizens. Gradually, Leofric agreed to relent a bit on the non-stop taxing, but only if his chaste wife would agree to ride through the town fully nude in the middle of the day. So Lady Godiva agreed, but out of respect for their Countess, the people of Coventry shut all their doors and windows in order to protect their Lady’s modesty. Somewhere along the line, the character Peeping Tom became part of the story as well. You guessed it, he was the one citizen of the village compelled to look out of voyeuristic curiousity.
Today the question is how much of the legend actually took place? It seems that there was a lady named Godifu in the late eleventh century who was married to a very powerful man in England at that time. Most scholars of medieval England agree that the infamous ride never took place however. It seems that the Benedictine monks of the St. Albas abbey retroconned the legend into their Latin hitories, and it’s still going today. Peeping Tom was also a player in this English mythology that was added to the story sometime in the 17th century. The main characters in the Godiva legend provide a sort of morality lesson, as Tom is either struck blind or dead, depending on the telling of the story. (I wonder if this is where we get the saying about “You’ll go blind from doing that”? Food for thought.) The story has a happy ending, of course, as Leofric seals the document that lowers taxes after Lady Godiva goes all exhibitionist. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
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Tags: chocolate liqueur, debauchery, history, holiday drinks, valentines day drinks, vodka
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