Empire Cocktail

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (14 ratings)

Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
1 12 oz Hayman's London Dry Gin
34 oz Calvados / apple brandy / straight applejack
34 oz Luxardo Apricot Albicocca Liqueur
13 oz Chilled 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 apricot slice on rim or orange zest twist.
  3. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 7/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 5/10

Review:

Apricot fortified by gin and apple brandy. Craddock's 1930 recipe calls for this cocktail to be shaken rather than stirred, indeed it's a cocktail that benefits from a little dilution, hence the addition of water.

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History:

Adapted from a recipe in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book.

EMPIRE COCKTAIL.
¼ Apricot Brandy.
¼ Calvados.
½ Gin.
Shake well and strain into chilled glass.

Harry Craddock, 1930

Nutrition:

One serving of Empire Cocktail contains 204 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.9 standard drinks
  • 27% alc./vol. (27° proof)
  • 27 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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Jeremy Harrold’s Avatar Jeremy Harrold
7th November 2021 at 05:53
Very nice. A perfect marriage of Apricot and Apple. Though it calls out to be a stirred cocktail I think shaking it with dry ice works a treat. Harry got it right!
5th September 2021 at 18:04
Lovely flavors and perfectly balanced. Amazing how a recipe that is the same as it was almost 100 years ago still comes out so perfectly suited to modern palates. I think an orange twist is a nice garnish, and rather than add water (need to fix that typo in the recipe), I simply give it a little extra stirring time, which works just fine.
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
5th September 2021 at 20:04
Many thanks for bringing typo to my attention - now fixed. Agreed re the orange twist and I've added above.
John Hinojos’ Avatar John Hinojos
23rd July 2021 at 00:13
This is outstanding and perfect for anytime. The flavours all work together with not one standing out. Would highly recommend and do again.
John Hinojos’ Avatar John Hinojos
23rd July 2021 at 00:14
Simon, I forgot. There is a typo on the water amount. It is asking for a 1/3 wedge.