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Improved Gin Cocktail

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (9)
Improved Gin Cocktail image
Measurements in:
Serves:
1
Ingredients
1 swath Lemon peel
1 2⁄3 fl oz Hayman's London Dry Gin
1⁄6 fl oz Gomme syrup
1⁄12 fl oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
2 dash Difford's Bokers Bitters By Bob's Bitters
1 dash La Fée Parisienne absinthe

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

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How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Nick & Nora glass

Prepare

  1. Select and pre-chill a NICK & NORA GLASS.
  2. Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

Method

  1. Add other ingredients and SHAKE with ice.
  2. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. EXPRESS oils from lemon zest twist into shaker and discard.
  2. EXPRESS lemon zest twist over surface of the cocktail, rub lemon zest oils on rim, and discard.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Health & Nutrition

Alcohol content:

We don't have enough information to calculate the alc./vol., but based on known ingredients, this recipe contains at least:

  • 17.2 grams of pure alcohol

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

History

The Gin Cocktail first appears in Jerry "The Professor" Thomas' 1862 The Bar-Tender's Guide & Bon Vivant's Companion with this "Improved" version debuting in his 1876 The Bar-Tender's Guide 2nd Edition. This also includes "Improved" versions of the Brandy Cocktail, and Whiskey Cocktail, which are all what we today call Old Fashioned cocktails. In the words of Jerry Thomas, they have been "improved by moistening the edge of the cocktail glass with a piece of lemon." Such "improved" American cocktails from the period are also distinguished by using European ingredients, particularly maraschino liqueur and/or absinthe.

111. Gin Cocktail.
(Use small bar glass.)
3 or 4 dashes of gum syrup.
2 do. Bitters (Bogart's).
1 wine-glass of gin.
1 or 2 dashes of Curaçao.
1 small piece lemon peel; fill one-third full of fine ice
shake well, and strain in a glass.

243. Improved Gin Cocktail.
Use the same method and ingredients as in No. 241 substituting gin for the brandy.

Jerry Thomas, The Bar-tender's Guide, 1876


Review

Fabulously complex and spirit-forward. A delicious cocktail on which to sip and contemplate. Some may want to stir this cocktail but it's better shaken. Expressing lemon oils over the surface enhances the aroma and clears the bubble slick produced by shaking.

Variations/similar cocktails

Improved Brandy Cocktail
Improved Whiskey Cocktail
Improved Holland Cocktail

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$2.52 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 15 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.


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Gallery

Comments & Discussion

justin elghanian
Is this a 1:1 gomme syrup or 2:1?
score: 1
Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member
The gomme is equivalent to 2:1 by volume.
score: 0
G. M. Genovese Premium Member
I didn't even employ the lemon peel garnish - which is a make-or-break addition to too many cocktails I've tried - and I'm absolutely gobsmacked by how astonishingly good this was. How the hell do all of those little ingredient accents add up to a full-flavored affair?!? Out of this world!
score: 1
John CARR Premium Member
Superb, tho did take a couple of goes, dependent on today’s ingredients. My bottle of bokers turned out to be past its best, so used abbots instead. I fancied the professor’s use of orange, so one dash orange bitters. Cut the sugar to 2.5ml for my taste. Lemons weren’t great so added twist to shaker and glass. Tried with both Luxardo and Pierre Ferrand. Both worked really well. Genuine old time flavour. Sophisticated and complex and one to experiment with 🙂.
score: 2

View 3 comments and discussion

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Difford’s Shop logo
$2.52 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 15 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.

Visit Difford’s Shop USA

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