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RAC Cocktail

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (55)
RAC Cocktail image
Measurements in:
Serves:
1
Ingredients
1 1⁄2 fl oz Hayman's London Dry Gin (from freezer)
3⁄4 fl oz Strucchi Dry Vermouth (chilled)
3⁄4 fl oz Strucchi Rosso Vermouth (chilled)
1⁄12 fl oz Monin Grenadine Syrup
1 dash Orange Bitters by Angostura

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

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How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Coupe glass

Prepare

  1. Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
  2. Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

  1. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  2. STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. EXPRESS orange zest twist over cocktail and discard.
  2. Garnish with skewered maraschino cherry.

Flavour Profile

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

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of RAC Cocktail contains 168 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.5 standard drinks
  • 22.3% alc./vol. (44.59° proof)
  • 20.7 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.

History

The house cocktail at London's Royal Automobile Club, a private members' club awarded its royal title by King Edward VII in 1907. The club moved to its splendid 89 Pall Mall address in 1911.

The R.A.C. cocktail's first appearance in a recipe book is Robert Vermeire's 1922 Cocktails: How to Mix Them, where its creation is credited to Fred Faechs in 1914.

R.A.C Cocktail.
Fill the bar glass half full of broken ice and add:
¼ gill of Dry Gin.
1/8 gill of French Vermouth.
1/8 gill of Italian Vermouth.
1 dash of Grenadine.
1 dash Orange Bitters.
Stir up well, strain into a cocktail-glass, add a cherry, and squeeze-orange peel on top.
R.A.C. means Royal Automobile Club. This is the largest club in London with, with over 16,000 members.
(Recipe by Fred Faechs, 1914.)

Robert Vermeire, Cocktails - How to Mix Them, 1922


It then appears in the 1924 book Kokuteeru written by Japanese bartender Yonekichi Maeda, considered the first modern Japanese bartending book.

RAC Cocktail
Dry Gin....................... 2/4 oz
French Vermouth....... 1/4 oz
Italian vermouth......... 1/4 oz
Grenadine................... 1 dash
Orange Bitter.............. 1 dash
Add all the ingredients into a mixing glass half-filled with crushed ice and stir well, strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry and some lemon peel.

Yonekichi Maeda, Kokuteeru, 1924 (from the 2022 Brendan Scott Grey translation)


The R.A.C. also appears in the 1933 The Green Cocktail Book written by the mysterious "Jimmy".

R.A.C.
2 parts Dry Gin.
1 part French Vermouth
1 part Italian Vermouth
1 dash Grenadine per cocktail
1 dash Orange Bitters per cocktail
Squeeze a piece of orange peel on top, and serve with a cherry.

The Green Cocktail Book by Jimmy, 1932


And in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book.

R.A.C. SPECIAL COCKTAIL.
2 Dashes Orange Bitters.
¼ French Vermouth.
¼ Italian Vermouth.
½ Dry Gin.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top.

Harry Craddock, 1930

Review

A one-to-one Perfect Martini with extra grenadine sweetness and orange bitters adding complexity.

AKA: R.A.C. Special Cocktail

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$2.15 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 16.5 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.

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* 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.

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Gallery

Comments & Discussion

Dave Smith
Used Harry Craddock’s recipe as I didn’t have any Grenadine either. A fine cocktail although I’d watch how many to enjoy before motoring out with the RAC:).
score: 1
John CARR Premium Member
I think 4 stars is about right. Very pleasant and nice balance of lightness with depth of flavour. A splash of orange juice and shake could be an attractive variant here, leaning it towards a Satan’s whiskers (one of my favourites). I used fords gin; Tanq 10 or similar could potentially bump it up a notch.
score: 1
Shawn Clark
The history is incomplete. The R.A.C. Cocktail was in Robert Vermeire's 1922 "Cocktails: How to Mix Them" on page. 42. This explains why it is also in the 1924 Japanese work "Kokuteeru" by Yonekichi Maeda. This latter work was republished as an English translation in 2022, and the R.A.C. recipe is on page 79.
score: 1
Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member
Many thanks for the heads-up, Shawn. I've updated the history as best as I'm able until I get my hands on a translated copy of Kokuteeru. Please bear with me.
score: 2
Shawn Clark
Kokuteeru is unusual, and this first printing has a number of errors and likely errors in translation (e.g. Hiram became Harlem, Brut = Fruit, Calisaya = Cascarilla, Armour = Amour, Inimitable = Immutable.) I have only had two days to look through it. At least 98 of the actual cocktails (not crab/lobster/tomato/vegetable) in the 156 entry "cocktails" section come from Vermeire. At least 18 others are from Kappeler, a few others from Ensslin and Straub. Several others appear to be original to the Japanese author/establishment, and a number of cocktails have small stylistic differences (lack of Boker's and Peychaud's--subbing with Ango or orange; adding a touch of vermouth, sometimes a dash maraschino.) A dozen have me stumped because they are either new (perhaps garbled?) names, too generic to search, or are completely unrelated to period cocktails of the same name.
score: 1
Simon Difford Simon Difford Continue thread (1 reply)
Joseph Nelson Premium Member
I am quite the fan of the Perfect Martini (or most drinks that mix equal parts dry and sweet vermouth) and that little splash of grenadine makes this just a little bit extra fine for me. Great company cocktail.
score: 3
Calvin Grant Premium Member
Saw your comment on the log in page and thought I'd give it a try. Glad I did thanks. Tasted it before adding the zest and what a difference the orange zest made.
score: 2
Joseph Nelson Premium Member
Now I'm a little sad I was out of oranges when I made it! I'll need to try it again once I get more, because even without the zest, I thought it was a tasty cocktail.
score: 2
Calvin Grant Calvin Grant Continue thread (1 reply)
Miguel Perales Premium Member
Definitely dry "Martini" notes with slight sweetness that finishes with the orange bitters. Very nice cocktail. Will add to rotation.
score: 1
Tuber Magnatum Premium Member
Lovely cocktail and as suggested by John Hinojos, an excellent before dinner drink. I would add that if using grenadine rather than pomegranate syrup, the choice of grenadine is critical. By that I mean, this drink benefits from (requires?) home made grenadine!
score: 1
John Hinojos Premium Member
Very delightful and much more complex in flavour than I was expecting. Not overly sweet and perfect for before dinner. Will definitely have this one again.
score: 3
peter holmes Premium Member
Unusually complex with lots of layers of taste. Not too sweet. It doesn't taste like but I think this a bit of a smiling assassin.
score: 1
Letti Penguin Premium Member
My old cocktail book suggests you can substitute dry orange curacao for orange bitters
score: 1

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Difford’s Shop logo
$2.15 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 16.5 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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