Zamboanga 'Zeinie'

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (15 ratings)

Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
2 oz Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac
14 oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
16 oz Monin Pineapple Syrup
12 oz Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
3 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
3 drop Saline solution 4:1 (20g sea salt to 80g water)
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of lime zest twist and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.
  3. SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
  5. Express lime zest twist over cocktail and discard.
  6. Garnish with skewered cherry.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 8/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 7/10

Review:

I described our previous version of this classic as "Reminiscent of a tropical Sidecar." The recipe above is more fitting for this classic, but if you preferred the tropical version, it comprised 60ml cognac, 7.5ml maraschino cherry syrup, 30ml pineapple juice, 15ml lime juice, and 2 dashes of aromatic bitters.

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History:

Adapted from a recipe in Charles H. Baker, Jr.'s 1939 The Gentleman's Companion volume II – An Exotic Drinking Book. He describes this as "another palate twister from the land where the Monkeys Have No Tails. This drink found its way down through the islands to Mindanao from Manila..."

THE ZAMBOANGA "ZEINIE" COCKTAIL, another PALATETWISTER from the LAND where the MONKEYS HAVE No TAILS

This drink found its way down through the Islands to Mindanao from Manila, and we found it in the little Overseas Club standing high above the milk-warm waters of the Sulu Sea, on the suggestion of a new friend, just met; and while perusing the first edition of that Norm Anthony-George Delacorte opus Ballyhoo, which after having passed from hand to hand through most of the U.S. Army in the Islands from Colonels down was slightly tattered, but still placed in a rack of honour.
Cognac, 1 jigger
Maraschino, 1 tsp
Lime, juice, ½
Fresh pineapple syrup, 3 dashes
Angostura, 3 dashes
Twist lime peel
Shake well with shaved ice, letting some of ice go into glass; twist some of the peel on top to extract oil, and add one olive. Use a Manhattan glass. . . . Pineapple syrup same as used at soda fountains.

Charles H. Baker, Jr., The Gentleman's Companion volume II – An Exotic Drinking Book, 1939

Nutrition:

One serving of Zamboanga 'Zeinie' contains 169 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.4 standard drinks
  • 22.28% alc./vol. (22.28° proof)
  • 19.7 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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G. M. Genovese’s Avatar G. M. Genovese
20th February at 18:18
Made this 3+ times just now. Tweaks galore. My master recipe (scale it up, to taste): 40 ml Cognac, 10 ml pineapple syrup, 5 ml Luxardo cherry syrup, 10 ml lime juice, 1 moderate dash of Ango. Enjoy.
Jose Cruz’s Avatar Jose Cruz
10th March 2024 at 04:31
Seemed a bit dry did 10ML cherry syrup, is great ! but next time will do 12.5ML. Very Cognac forward with aftertaste of pineapple and luxardo.