Skip advertisement Advertisement

Sloppy Joe

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (61)
Sloppy Joe image
Measurements in:
Serves:
1
Ingredients
1 fl oz Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)
1 fl oz Strucchi Dry Vermouth
1/3 fl oz Ferrand Dry Curaçao liqueur
1/4 fl oz Monin Grenadine Syrup
1/6 fl oz Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water) 65.0°Brix
2/3 fl oz Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above.

How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Coupe glass

Prepare

  1. Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
  2. Prepare garnish of lime wedge.

Method

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

Garnish

  1. Garnish with lime wedge.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 5/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 7/10
More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Sloppy Joe contains 170 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.2 standard drinks
  • 15.35% alc./vol. (30.71° proof)
  • 16.9 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

Skip advertisement Advertisement

History

One of two vintage cocktails that variously appear under the names of Sloppy Joe or Sloppy Joe's. They either originate from or are named after Sloppy Joe's, a famous bar in Havana, Cuba during the 1930s. Ernest Hemingway was a regular and Sloppy Joe's inspired the fictitious Freddy's Bar in his novel To Have and Have Not.
Adapted from a recipe in Stanley M. Jones' 1977 Jones' Complete Barguide.

SLOPPY JOE'S COCKTAIL
Cocktail Glass Shake
1 oz lime juice
¼ oz grenadine
¼ orange curacao
¾ oz rum
¾ oz dry vermouth

Variation

¾ oz pineapple juice
¾ oz brandy
¾ oz port
1 dash grenadine
1 dash orange curacao

Shake vigorously with ice cubes. Strain into double old-fashioned glass with ice-con around straw.

Stanley M. Jones, 1977


Review

A well-balanced combination of sweet and sour.

Cocktail of the day:

18th March 2026 is National Sloppy Joe Day

Skip advertisement Advertisement

Gallery

Skip advertisement Advertisement

Comments & Discussion

Chris Brislawn
Grenadine *and* sugar syrup make for too many inert ingredients so I replaced them with 1/3 oz pomegranate liqueur. A "sweet & sour," fruity daiquiri variation (along the lines of the Pomegranate Daiquiri) whose vermouth adds a subtle touch of herbal complexity.
score: 3
Tuber Magnatum Premium Member
A very tasty drink and aptly described as sweet and sour. I think next time though I will use same volume grenadine (used home made) and cut the simple syrup in half to up the sour and decrease the sweet.
score: 3
Miguel Perales Premium Member
Don't know if the ingredients showing now are the revised ones (mine still shows 1/4 oz/7.5 ml grenadine syrup) but this is very close to being nicely balanced (still a just a touch on the sweet side for me). I really like the flavors though. I will just have to find the right balance for me.
score: 1
Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member
Yes, Miguel. The recipe above with 1/4oz / 7.5ml grenadine is my preferred one. However, very dependent on your grenadine and is amazing if homemade syrup with 2 parts fresh pressed pomegranate juice to 1 part caster sugar is used.
score: 1
Lawrence Cadloff
I’d probably prefer just a dash of grenadine - it comes through too clearly using 1/4 oz.
score: 2
Stuart Reeve
I agree, it's just too overpowering with the current mix
score: 1
Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member
Agreed. I've revisited and rewritten the recipe with less lime, sugar and grenadine. Less is more!
score: 3

View 4 comments and discussion

See more...

Filibuster

Filibuster Image

A rye whiskey and maple syrup sour served short and straight-up. You'd perhaps have expected this cocktail to be more drawn out.

View more

Tia Mia

Tia Mia Image

Mezcal adds its unique character to this tasty Mai Tai riff Mai Tai riff.

View more

Club Cocktail (Difford's recipe)

Club Cocktail (Difford's recipe) Image

I originally used pisco to augment the cognac/brandy, but pineapple rum sits more harmoniously with the other ingredients. A splash of fizz is an...

View more

Aged Honey Daiquiri

Aged Honey Daiquiri Image

Rich, flavoursome honey replaces sugar syrup in this delicious Daiquiri. The fuller your honey, the more flavoursome your rum should be.

View more

Fireman's Sour

Fireman's Sour Image

A cocktail that dates from the early 20th century, when it was made without egg white and served straight-up. However, this more contemporary...

View more

Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa Image

Fruity, yet spirit-forward. Looking at the ingredients, this cocktail should be very sweet. It is rich, but it is surprising how the dilution from...

View more

Filibuster

Filibuster Image

A rye whiskey and maple syrup sour served short and straight-up. You'd perhaps have expected this cocktail to be more drawn out.

View more

Tia Mia

Tia Mia Image

Mezcal adds its unique character to this tasty Mai Tai riff Mai Tai riff.

View more

Club Cocktail (Difford's recipe)

Club Cocktail (Difford's recipe) Image

I originally used pisco to augment the cognac/brandy, but pineapple rum sits more harmoniously with the other ingredients. A splash of fizz is an...

View more

Aged Honey Daiquiri

Aged Honey Daiquiri Image

Rich, flavoursome honey replaces sugar syrup in this delicious Daiquiri. The fuller your honey, the more flavoursome your rum should be.

View more

Fireman's Sour

Fireman's Sour Image

A cocktail that dates from the early 20th century, when it was made without egg white and served straight-up. However, this more contemporary...

View more

Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa Image

Fruity, yet spirit-forward. Looking at the ingredients, this cocktail should be very sweet. It is rich, but it is surprising how the dilution from...

View more