JavaScript is not enabled!
For information on how to enable Javascript on your browser click here.

Alabazam (long)

Name: Alabazam (long)
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Cognac (brandy); 22.5 ml Orange Curaçao; 22.5 ml Lemon juice; 10 ml Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1); 2 dash Orange bitters; 3 drop Saline solution 4:1; 60 ml Soda water

Difford’s Guide

Discerning Drinkers (35)

Measurements in:

Serves:

Keep screen awake

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz	Cognac (brandy)
³⁄₄ fl oz	Ferrand Dry Curaçao liqueur
³⁄₄ fl oz	Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₃ fl oz	Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water) 65.0°Brix
2 dash	Orange Bitters by Angostura
3 drop	Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s
2 fl oz	Thomas Henry Soda Water

How to make

Glass

Photographed in an UB Koto Collins 35cl

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COLLINS GLASS.
Prepare garnish of lemon slice wheel.

Method

SHAKE first 6 ingredients with ice.
Open shaker and ADD soda water.
STRAIN into ice-filled glass.

Garnish

Garnish with lemon slice wheel.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Alabazam (long) contains 210 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
12.43% alc./vol. (24.87° proof)
21.4 grams of pure alcohol

History

The first known reference to a cocktail of this name appears in Leo-Engel's 1878 American and Other Drinks.

ALABAZAM.
Use tumbler.
One tea-spoonful of Angostura bitters; two tea-spoons of orange Curaçao; one tea-spoonful of white sugar; one tea-spoonful of lemon juice; half a wine glass of brandy. Shake up well with fine ice and strain in a claret glass.
Leo Engel, American and Other Drinks, 1880

However, the bitter-heavy, short and straight-up 1878 recipe bears little resemblance to this tall Alabazam, which comes from William Schmidt's 1892 The Flowing Bowl – When and What to Drink.

Alabazam.
A large bar glass,
The juice of ½ lemon,
1 barspon of sugar,
1 dash of Seltzer; mix this well;
Fill your glass 2/3 with fine ice,
2 dashes of curaçao,
1 drink of brandy.
Stir well, strain, and serve.
William Schmidt, The Flowing Bowl – When and What to Drink, 1892

More cocktails by William Schmidt

Review

This long, fruity cocktail packs a cognac-charged punch, but as the ice melts, it mellows and becomes refreshing.

Variations/similar cocktails

Alabazam (short)

Ferrand Dry Curacao 750ml - makes 33 cocktails
$34.99 $1.06 per cocktail Ferrand Dry Curacao image

Monin Pure Cane Syrup (US) 750ml - makes 75 cocktails
$14.99 $0.20 per cocktail Monin Pure Cane Syrup (US) image

Angostura Orange Bitters 120ml - makes 192 cocktails
$13.99 $0.07 per cocktail Angostura Orange Bitters image

$1.33 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 33 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.

Orders are processed by a licensed Fulproof retailer. The buy now button is added simply for convenience.

Checkout

* May not include all ingredients. Price per cocktail is an estimate based on cost of one cocktail with ingredients shown above and does not include shipping.

Gallery

Comments & Discussion

Please log in to make a comment

Manuela Rodrigues Premium Member 1y

Internet is filled with references to a cocktail going by the same name, but served 'up'—one reminiscent of a Sidecar, but heavy on Angostura.
Any thoughts on this?

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 1y

That is the 1878 Leo-Engel version referenced above. I've created a separate page for this and added a link to "Alabazam (short)" above. (Initially only accessible to Premium members while awaiting photography.)

William Mulder 4y

Very tasty. I used Fever Tree Spiced Orange Ginger Ale as my soda.

View 2 comments and discussion

See more...