King Cole Cocktail

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (30 ratings)

Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
1 23 oz Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)
14 oz Fernet Branca liqueur
13 oz Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)
13 oz Chilled water omit if using wet ice
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of orange & pineapple slices.
  3. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 8/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 6/10

Review:

Fernet-loving folk will appreciate this herbal digestivo.

View readers' comments

History:

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

KING COLE COCKTAIL.
1 Glass Rye or Canadian Club Whisky.
2 Dashes Syrup.
1 Dash Fernet Branca.
1 Lump of Ice.
Stir well and decorate with slices of orange and pineapple.

Harry Craddock, 1930

Nutrition:

One serving of King Cole Cocktail contains 161 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.6 standard drinks
  • 28.42% alc./vol. (28.42° proof)
  • 22 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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Herbert Brant’s Avatar Herbert Brant
4th November 2023 at 19:20
And a merry old soul was I! Very nice combination, keeping the Fernet in balance with the Rye. Next time, I'll try it with different types of bitters (orange, cherry, maple-walnut, etc.) for a subtle variation on a great simple cocktail.
John Hinojos’ Avatar John Hinojos
10th March 2022 at 05:28
Great evening sipper and digestive. The rye gives it warm tones and the fernet herbal and minty. Wonderful for relaxing after a long day.
27th February 2022 at 00:37
Very tasty! Though it puts me in mind of my personal variation on the Toronto: 2-1/4 oz rye, 3/4 oz ginger syrup, 1/2 oz Fernet. I call it Timmy’s Toronto — and it’s my go-to for something a bit bracing but also bright.
Donald S’ Avatar Donald S
4th August 2021 at 00:54
Love this. If you enjoy a Manhattan, then you'll like this. I didn't have pineapple and an orange so I used my fallback, home canned cherries in bourbon and triple-sec. Oh yeah!