Name: Shanghai Gin
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 22.5 ml Gin; 22.5 ml Chartreuse Yellow; 22.5 ml Bénédictine D.O.M.; 22.5 ml Lemon juice

Shanghai Gin
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Glass:

Photographed in an Urban Bar Alto Cocktail 17cl

Ingredients:
³⁄₄ fl oz	Hayman's London Dry Gin
³⁄₄ fl oz	Yellow Chartreuse (or génépy liqueur)
³⁄₄ fl oz	Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur
³⁄₄ fl oz	Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a NICK & NORA GLASS.
Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

How to make:

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

Garnish:

EXPRESS lemon 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:

A monastic herbal Gin Sour.

View readers' comments

Variations/similar cocktails:

Embassie
Monte Cassino

History:

A cocktail which emerged in the late twenty-teens of unknown origin.

Nutrition:

One serving of Shanghai Gin contains 204 calories

Alcohol content:

1.6 standard drinks
22.83% alc./vol. (45.66° 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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eddie richards

26th February at 21:08

With both Simon and a number of experienced drinkers rating this highly, I may be sticking my neck out a little by suggesting a small adjustment that worked better for me.
I found the following ratios more balanced:
37.5 ml gin
15 ml Yellow Chartreuse
15 ml Bénédictine
22.5 ml lemon
In this more spirit-forward build, the gin clearly leads. The Chartreuse is present but controlled, while the Bénédictine adds a subtle honeyed background note. The lemon brings brightness without tipping into excess acidity.
Just sharing in case it’s helpful to anyone experimenting with the balance.

G. M. Genovese

10th January at 22:02

I wouldn't use subs here. Strega and Drambuie left me wanting the call ingredients. Tried it twice, leaving the lemon measure as is, and 25:20:15 with the spiritous elements left a more approachable taste, but not quite balanced. Ran out of the Benebuie, so I'll have to wait to dial in the delivery.

JP Tetreault

24th November 2025 at 17:55

Very well balanced drink overall, and one of my favorites. For a more citrusy profile, I use Citadelle gin. Though I love the sweetness in Chartreuse Jaune, Chartreuse Verte adds a much more herbal backbone and accents the juniper notes in gin.

Calvin Grant

21st October 2025 at 02:00

This for me was an all encompassing lemon bomb. Might try again with half the lemon juice. Also I used Dolin Génépy. Perhaps Chartreuse Jaune is more assertive here.

Calvin Grant

22nd October 2025 at 00:34

Made again, three quarters the lemon juice and less zest was just just right. Excellent.

Rob San

17th October 2025 at 22:13

Really tasty/tart/lemony drink! 2 drops saline will tone down the sweetness.

Florian Ruf

3rd October 2025 at 14:37

Some drops of saline solution add a nice extra. My next try will be Japanese Umami bitters.

Rik de Boer

12th July 2025 at 23:36

Excellent. Be generous with the gin, it easily gets lost amongst so many assertive ingredients.

Mike

12th July 2025 at 01:16

Magic. The kind of alchemy that great cocktails are all about.

I used The Botanist gin. All flavors in perfect harmony.

Anthony Bozza

21st May 2025 at 02:10

Great cocktail. I subbed B&B on one round and made it with Dolin Genepy de Chamois and loved it. The B&B cut the sweetness that others observed.

Florian Ruf

13th March 2025 at 14:29

With Tanqueray 10 really outstanding. It may remove Monte Cassino from my No.1 cocktail position. Chartreuse shines more in this version. There is also another variation with calvados which is very delicious: Widows Word.