Alabazam

Difford's Guide
Discerning Drinkers (17 ratings)

Serve in a

Collins glass

Photographed in an

UB Koto Collins 35cl

Garnish:

Lemon slice

How to make:

SHAKE first five ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass. TOP with soda.

1 1/2 fl oz Cognac (brandy)
3/4 fl oz Grand Marnier or other cognac orange liqueur
3/4 fl oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 fl oz Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°Brix)
2 dash Orange Bitters by Angostura
1 2/3 fl oz Thomas Henry Soda Water
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Review:

This long, fruity cocktail packs a cognac-charged punch, but as the ice melts, it mellows and becomes refreshing.

History:

The first known reference to a cocktail of this name appears in Leo-Engel's 1880 American Other Drinks.

ALABAZAM.
Use tumbler.
One tea-spoonful of Angostura bitters; two tea-spoons of orange Curaçao; one tea-spoonful of white sugar; one tea-spoonful of lemon juice; half a wine glass of brandy. Shake up well with fine ice and strain in a claret glass.

Leo Engel, American Other Drinks, 1880

However, the bitter-heavy 1880 recipe bears little resemblance to the Alabazam we know today and which comes from William Schmidt's 1892 The Flowing Bowl – When and What to Drink.

Alabazam.
A large bar glass,
The juice of ½ lemon,
1 barspon of sugar,
1 dash of Seltzer; mix this well;
Fill your glass 2/3 with fine ice,
2 dashes of curaçao,
1 drink of brandy.
Stir well, strain, and serve.

William Schmidt, The Flowing Bowl – When and What to Drink, 1892

Alcohol content:

  • 1.6 standard drinks
  • 14.08% alc./vol. (28.16° proof)
  • 21.9 grams of pure alcohol
Difford's Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Buy direct from
the_whisky_exchange store logo
£ -.--

Makes a minimum of ... cocktails
Just £ -.-- per cocktail*

* This list may not include all required ingredients.
Price per cocktail is an estimate based on the cost of making one cocktail with the available ingredients shown above and does not include any postage charges.
Buy direct from Difford’s Guide
Difford's Easy Jigger
£8.72 £8.72 exc VAT
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