Name: Norman Conquest
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 30 ml Calvados apple brandy; 30 ml Bourbon whiskey; 30 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth; 1 dash Aromatic bitters

Norman Conquest
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Photographed in a ZigZag Old-Fashioned Glass

Ingredients:
1 oz	Calvados / apple brandy / straight applejack
1 oz	Bourbon whiskey
1 oz	Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
1 dash	Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill an Old-fashioned glass.
Prepare garnish of orange slice wheel.
STIR all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice).
Garnish with orange slice wheel.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Rosso/rouge/sweet vermouth (di Torino) - Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

An apple brandy-influenced Sweet Manhattan served on-the-rocks.

View readers' comments

History:

Adapted from a recipe created by Erik Lorincz at The American Bar at The Savoy Hotel, London. A shaker containing this cocktail was buried in the counter of The American Bar at The Savoy Hotel when it was refurbished.

More cocktails by Erik Lorincz

Nutrition:

One serving of Norman Conquest contains 194 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
26.54% alc./vol. (26.54° proof)
24 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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Showing 7 comments for Norman Conquest.
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Keith Clarke

1st April at 00:00

I am sure this has been done before but I just switched the bourbon with rye and I like the spiciness this brings to the drink.

Peter McCarthy

30th December 2024 at 07:53

I made this with Avallen Calvados, Wild Turkey 91 bourbon (50/50 mix of 101 & 81), & Dolin Rouge. Nice nightcap. The Avallen doesn't have any added sugar, so there was only a slight sweetness up front with each sip. I think I'll try this again with a little bit of 2:1 sugar syrup or maple syrup (as suggested by Jay Longy D.) Apple on the nose (almost smells like apple juice), slightly sweet apple on the front of the sip, boozy in the middle, fading into bourbon, then an herbal, dry, slight bitterness that lingers on the tongue a bit. Seems like this one could maybe be added to the Autumn/fall category here on DG, given the flavors.

Simon Difford

30th December 2024 at 11:05

Thanks, Peter. I've added to the Autumn/fall category.

Jay Longy D.

15th February 2023 at 18:59

Great. I wanted a slightly sweeter drink than it was in the base. I added 5 ml of maple syrup and found a wonderful drink for tonight. Maple syrup and calvados are a fun combination.

Peter McCarthy

30th December 2024 at 07:44

I made this with Avallen Calvados which I think is on the drier side of things since they don't add any sugar. A nice drink as-is but not very sweet with a slight bitterness at the end of the sip, so I might have to try this one again with some maple syrup!

Kristen Tomaszewski

15th January 2023 at 17:07

A well-balanced cocktail which I enjoyed, even though I'm not typically a fan of Manhattans. Still, I think that the opportunity to name this a "Big Apple" was tragically missed.

Anonymous

9th January 2022 at 12:47

Amazed by this cocktail. Marriage of Bourbon, Calvados and Sweet Vermouth is creating a new flavor, like in Tiki drinks when you mix different rums. This one is quite strong (don't hesitate to dilute it when you stir), but perfectly balanced. You can use any Calvados AOC Pays d'Auge "Fine" (ie 2 years old or less), but use a Wild Turkey Bourbon and a Martini Rosso Vermouth, as the balance is the key to enjoy this cocktail.

Katie Winder

11th December 2021 at 07:21

This was a very nice evening drink to have by the fireplace. Strong but balanced. I increased the bitters by a dash. If I had a good cocktail cherry I would have added it to the garnish.