Name: Cock N' Bull
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 1 swath Orange peel; 22.5 ml Bourbon whiskey; 22.5 ml Bénédictine D.O.M.; 15 ml Cognac (brandy); 7.5 ml Triple sec; 1 dash Orange bitters

Cock N' Bull
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Photographed in an UB 1910 Old Fashioned 10.5oz

Ingredients:
1 swath	Orange peel
³⁄₄ oz	Bourbon whiskey
³⁄₄ oz	Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur
¹⁄₂ oz	Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac
¹⁄₄ oz	Cointreau triple sec liqueur
1 dash	Orange Bitters by Angostura

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill an Old-fashioned glass.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.
REGAL STIR all ingredients (including orange zest).
STRAIN into ice-filled glass (preferably a large cube or chunk of block ice).
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:

Some modern interpretations call for orange curaçao in place of triple sec. I stirred both versions alongside each other to sample what each liqueur brings to this cocktail, and I find myself much preferring triple sec, as per the original recipe, but with the subtle extra depth and zestiness afforded by stirring with a swath of orange peel.

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History:

This cocktail was created at and took its name from the famous Cock 'n Bull British-style pub on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, founded in 1937 by Jack Morgan. An anglophile, he covered the walls with cutting from framed cuttings from English newspapers, portraits of British monarchs, and prints of English landmarks and countryside. The 'pub' is famed for being where head bartender Wes Price created the Moscow Mule, so cementing his name and that of Jack and the Cock 'n Bull in cocktail history. When Jack died in 1974, his son John took over the running of the bar, which finally closed after 50 years in 1987.

It features in Ted Saucier's Bottom's Up as the "Cock 'N Bull Special," meaning it was created sometime between the bar opening in 1937 and the publication of this Saucier's book in 1951.

COCK 'N BULL SPECIAL
Courtesy, The Cock 'n Bull, Hollywood
½ oz. brandy
¾ oz. benedictine
¾ oz. bourbon
¼ oz. Cointreau
Ice
Stir. Pour over cube of ice in a large chilled champagne glass. Garnish with twist of orange peel.
Ted Saucier, Bottom's Up, 1951

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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Werd Bmocsil

13th May at 01:59

It was hard to 'find' the bourbon (McAfee's Benchmark 'Old No.8') in this one. Similar to the Vieux Carré

Given the comments, and my first impressions, I suggest the Sweet/Sour scale should be set to 4. For sure not 6, as none of the ingredients have any appreciable sour components. Maybe better with a different bourbon, and made 'long'.

G. M. Genovese

16th January at 10:51

Tried it as written: too sweet... Swapped the measures of the Cognac and Benedictine: better, but blurry... Finally, I made it once more with the original specs, now subbing in Pierre Ferrand Yuzu dry Curacao for the Triplum, and that was the master recipe for me. That Yuzu Curacao is delicious, but difficult to adequately sub in for regular PF Curacao. This is only the second drink I found the Yuzu to be perfect in. The other was a Corpse Reviver No. 2.

Simon Difford

16th January at 18:26

Thanks to your comment, I've just revisited this cocktail and the original recipe is great with a dash of orange bitters and a regal stir (with orange peel in stirring glass). I've amended above accordingly.

1 reply

Andy Parnell-Hopkinson

17th November 2024 at 18:40

Subbed the last two ingredients with dry curaçao and orange bitters and it's far better balanced. Still sweet but not overly.

Mike Hillis

17th November 2024 at 03:35

Enjoyable nightcap. Used Grand Marinier instead of Cointreau, which worked well. I could see that some might feel it is too sweet, but you could reduce the Benedictine by .25 if needed. Good as is.

Andy Parnell-Hopkinson

25th October 2024 at 19:34

Rather too sweet so I can imagine why people use dry curaçao. Might try again.

Ryan Hunter

13th October 2024 at 00:34

Just a basic logistics question: how do you approach "dashes" from bottles of which you don't usually use such a small amount? Keep an empty dasher bottle handy for the liqueur du jour? Use a dropper and scale based on the "12 drops per dash"? Actually attach a dasher cap to the bottle in question?

Andy Parnell-Hopkinson

25th October 2024 at 20:59

Thumb over the bottle neck: invert: squirt to taste. It's cocktails, not A level chemistry.

-1

BoozebytheBeard

20th October 2024 at 17:29

I usually use a dropper. I squeeze to take in, and then give a good hard squeeze out, instead of a drop. Feels more akin to a dash of Angostura, rather than a Japanese bottle. Perhaps half bar spoon or whatnot. But do as you please :)