Name: California Zephyr
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 37.5 ml Calvados apple brandy; 37.5 ml Cognac (brandy); 7.5 ml Apricot liqueur; 1 dash Absinthe; 10 ml Chilled water

California Zephyr
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Photographed in a Retro Coupe

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₄ oz	Calvados / apple brandy / straight applejack
1 ¹⁄₄ oz	Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac
¹⁄₄ oz	Luxardo Apricot Albicocca Liqueur
1 dash	La Fée Parisienne absinthe
¹⁄₃ oz	Chilled water omit if using wet ice

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.
STIR all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
EXPRESS orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

This spirit-forward cocktail benefits from being tamed by dilution. Hence my addition of a splash of chilled water.

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Variant:

Saucy Sue

History:

A classic brought to my attention and rejuvenated by Jason E. Clapham of St. Edward's MCR at Oxford, England. The California Zephyr was first published in Ted Saucier's 1951 Bottoms Up and takes its name after the long-distance passenger train that runs – the scenic way - between Chicago and San Francisco Bay.

CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR
Recalling the gentle California breezes and several delightful trips on the luxurious train bearing that same name.
½ jigger applejack
½ jigger Coronet brandy
1 barspoon apricot brandy
1 dash absinthe
Ice
Shake well. Strain into cocktail glass, and drop in twist orange peel.
Ted Saucier, Bottoms Up, 1951

More cocktails by Ted Saucier

Nutrition:

One serving of California Zephyr contains 194 calories

Alcohol content:

1.8 standard drinks
27.54% alc./vol. (27.54° proof)
25.6 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.