Name: Jack Dempsey
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Light white rum; 15 ml Gin; 15 ml Lemon juice; 10 ml Sugar syrup (2:1); 10 ml Chilled water; 2 drop Saline solution 4:1

Jack Dempsey
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Glass:

Photographed in a Speakeasy Coupe 8.5oz

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz	Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Hayman's London Dry Gin
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₃ fl oz	Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°Brix)
¹⁄₃ fl oz	Chilled water omit if using wet ice
2 drop	Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Dilution makes or breaks this subtle, gin-laced Daiquiri variation.

View readers' comments

Variations/similar cocktails:

Dempsey

History:

Adapted from a recipe in Stanley M. Jones' 1977 Jones' Complete Barguide., this cocktail celebrates Jack Dempsey, world heavyweight boxing champion from 1919 to 1926.

JACK DEMPSEY
Cocktail Glass
Shake
1/2 oz lemon juice
1-1/2 oz rum
1/2 oz gin
3/4 tsp sugar
Stanley M. Jones, 1977

Nutrition:

One serving of Jack Dempsey contains 162 calories

Alcohol content:

1.4 standard drinks
18.7% alc./vol. (37.41° proof)
19.1 grams of pure alcohol

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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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Showing 10 of 11 comments for Jack Dempsey.
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Werd Bmocsil

13th December 2025 at 01:07

Mine was Bacardi Superior, Beefeater, &ct. It's fine, especially since I'm on a 'diet' (no wine or wine products, no aged liquor, no fun, all due to a possible MCAS condition).
The balance of the ingredients tames the gin for me, but perhaps a different combination would rate better than "Recommended". Or maybe my palate is getting jaded.

Calvin Grant

15th October 2025 at 00:40

Previously rated this four and a half stars.. Just made again with 40ml Carta Blanca, 5ml S&C, and 15ml Beefeater. It's now a solid five! ♡

John Taylor

19th May 2025 at 11:28

My first rum-based cocktail, sipped first then remembered saline, accidentaly added a bit much but either way this is a tasty cocktail (the salt really adds something so don't be put off by it. Before that it tasted vaguely tequila-ish, but the salt rounds everything out and enhances it too? It's an intriguing combination that I will research with more rigour ;-)

John Hinojos

10th October 2024 at 00:19

Tried again using Barbados white rum and Empress 1908 Gin. Turned the cocktail an interesting dusty pink/mauve colour. Nice before dinner.

Florian Ruf

28th July 2024 at 15:08

Maybe I did not hit the right proportions or had not the fitting ingredients, but I am actually not convinced by this cocktail.

Chris Dimal

12th January at 13:20

I agree. Not worth 5* in my opinion. I will say that the Planteray 3 Stars I used is not the most delicate rum. Maybe a Bacardi-esque rum is the way to go?

Matt

26th July 2024 at 03:15

I did not care for this. I tried adjusting the syrup down, and I tried Old Tom gin, and I couldn't get it to work for me. Maybe less lemon? - I gave up before trying that. I do recommned the *very* similar Stanley cocktail, found here on Diffords.

Lynn Garvie

3rd November 2023 at 20:11

Beautiful!!
Somehow, despite the lowly 15ml measure, the mixture enhances the herbal flavours of the gin.
Light, refreshing and entirely repeatable.
(Jack Dempsey)

Chris Dimal

22nd May 2023 at 08:32

Fantastic and adaptable. I've been using Havana Club 3 for cocktails calling for an aged charcoal filtered rum, and yet again, this works so effectively. Maybe it's Havana Club 3 VS any other rum in its category, but this is wonderfully balanced. The gin is really, really subtle, but it still feels like a true Daiquiri, though the lemon juice ensures it feels less bracing.

John Hinojos

3rd April 2023 at 23:55

This is outstanding. Used Stade's Barbados white rum and a local San Diego Gin. The Barbados rum has a little more flavour and less sugar than some other islands. Love the herbal hints from the gin and the light citrus taste. Great for before dinner or as an afternoon sipper.

Miguel Perales

1st April 2023 at 19:36

Tried the "new and improved" version and you are correct Mr Difford, it is a better version. Not as gin forward as before. It now has a lemon citrus nose and the gin now subtly complements (not overpowers) the rest of the cocktail. Nicely balanced. Thank you for updating this cocktail.

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