Name: Union Club Cocktail
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 50 ml Bourbon whiskey; 12.5 ml Maraschino liqueur; 12.5 ml Red bitter liqueur; 37.5 ml Orange juice

Union Club Cocktail
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Glass:

Photographed in a Retro Coupe

Ingredients:
1 ²⁄₃ fl oz	Bourbon whiskey
⁵⁄₁₂ fl oz	Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
⁵⁄₁₂ fl oz	Italian red bitter liqueur
1 ¹⁄₄ fl oz	Orange juice (freshly squeezed)

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

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:

Bittersweet, fruity and complex. A summery aperitivo.

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Variations/similar cocktails:

Union Club

History:

Adapted from a recipe created in 2008 by Jamie Boudreau at Tini Bigs, Seattle, USA and named after a gambling joint Wyatt Earp opened in Seattle in 1899.
The above recipe is scaled back (maintaining relative proportions of ingredients) from the original recipe:
2 oz Bourbon whiskey
½ oz Maraschino liqueur
½ oz Italian red bitter liqueur
1½ oz Orange juice

More cocktails by Jamie Boudreau

Nutrition:

One serving of Union Club Cocktail contains 200 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
19.36% alc./vol. (38.72° proof)
23.4 grams of pure alcohol

More Aperitivo/aperitif cocktails
More Bittersweet (e.g. Negroni) cocktails
More Summer cocktails

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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Showing 10 of 11 comments for Union Club Cocktail.
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Tuber Magnatum

29th April at 23:17

So tried this again as per the recipe, i.e. using Campari (as opposed to using Aperol or Amer Picon to cut bitterness which some found overpowering). As is so often the case, Difford's / Jamie Boudreaux's recipe is perfect unlike my first modification. Campari is definitely the way to go with this cocktail in my view.

Monkey Beng

19th June 2025 at 19:41

10-30-40 is easier. More simple

David Teager

4th May 2025 at 22:46

Just OK, but fit my desire for a cocktail with bourbon and orange juice. I may try this again using apricot liquor in place of maraschino. And I think grapefruit bitters would be a good idea.

Calvin Grant

30th April at 02:25

Yes, a few drops of Bob's Grapefruit Bitters sits well here. And then a spritz of absinthe for the aroma completed the picture.

Calvin Grant

18th October 2024 at 02:33

Was looking for a drink with bourbon and Campari and came upon this. While making it to Jamie's proportions came up a half ounce short squeezing a rather dry Cara Cara orange and made up the difference with Ocean Spray white grapefruit juice (what a variable beast orange juice can be). Frankly the results tasted weird. Tried a dash of Chartreuse Vegetal Elixer which added complexity but still tasted weird. Then added a dash of Hella ginger bitters and miraculously the weirdness was vanquished.

Calvin Grant

30th April at 02:39

Finally revisited with sufficient orange juice. Didn't taste weird, just took a while for the bourbon to wake up. Basil Hayden's perhaps a bit wimpy here. Considering a high rye and or a higher proof bourbon.

Jon French

7th June 2024 at 12:37

This was a little too boozy & bitter for some, so I was looking for a way to lengthen & sweeten it. So swapped out half the bourbon for limoncello & upped the orange juice. Found the result a refreshing bittersweet long drink for a summer's evening (recipe below)...

https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/28758/holy-union

Lynn Garvie

27th October 2023 at 21:12

This "Union Club Cocktail" is superior to "Union Club". They seem like very different cocktails to have such similar names.
This one is a fruitier.
Great depth of flavour.

Tuber Magnatum

30th April 2022 at 22:49

Interesting re comments on Campari being a tad "heavy". Given that, I tried using Amer Picon instead thinking the orange notes would complement the drink. While enjoyable, I think I will opt for the Campari next time as I think the drink would actually benefit from a little more bitterness given the sweetness of the Maraschino and OJ. All in all though, a very nice drink well suited for the summer.

WT F

3rd March 2022 at 06:07

Very balanced. Campari seems a little heavy for me though, and I usually like bitter drinks.

Herbert Brant

2nd April 2022 at 20:03

Agreed. I think I'll try it again using Aperol instead of the Campari.

Jill Ghosh

28th December 2021 at 21:12

This was just ok. A pleasant drink. I enjoyed it, but not sure I would make it again.

John Hinojos

26th May 2021 at 23:41

I liked this and gave it 4 stars. Good aperitif. I did find it a bit sweet, but it could be an issue with our oranges as I am in Southern California and they tend to be very sweet. May consider making with grapefruit or a mixture of grapefruit and orange.

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