Artist's Special Cocktail
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Artist's Special Cocktail
Serve in a Coupe glass
| 1 1⁄2 oz | Irish whiskey |
| 1 1⁄2 oz | Lustau Oloroso Don Nuño Sherry |
| 1⁄2 oz | Lemon juice (freshly squeezed) |
| 1⁄2 oz | Groseille (redcurrant) syrup |
How to make:
- Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
- Prepare garnish of redcurrant bunch laid across rim.
- SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
- FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
Allergens:
Recipe contains the following allergens:
- Oloroso sherry - Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites
Strength & taste guide:
No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Cocktail of the day:
7th November 2025 is Museum of Modern Art's birthday
Review:
Irish whiskey is often matured in oloroso sherry seasoned casks so it's no surprise that whiskey and sherry blend harmoniously in this cocktail, with lemon tartness balanced by rich red currant syrup, the key ingredient that makes this cocktail "Special".
History:
A voraciously pink Parisian special from the 1920s, this cocktail first appears in print in Harry MacElhone's 1927 Barflies and Cocktails.
Artist's Special.
Harry McElhone, 1927
1/3 Scotch Whisky,
1/3 Sherry,
1/6 Lemon juice,
1/6 Groseille syrup,
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
(Recipe from the Artists' Club, Rue Pigalle, Paris.)
Exactly the same recipe appears three years later in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book.
ARTIST'S (SPECIAL) COCKTAIL.
Harry Craddock, 1930
1/3 Whisky.
1/3 Sherry.
1/6 Lemon Juice.
1/6 Groseille Syrup.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
This is the genuine 'Ink of Inspiration' imbibed at the Bal Bullier, Paris. The recipe is from the Artists' Club, Rue Pigalle, Paris.
The "Bal Bullier, Paris" Craddock refers to was a famous ballroom opened by François Bullier in the mid-nineteenth century at 39 Avenue Georges Bernanos, Paris. It closed in 1940.
Nutrition:
One serving of Artist's Special Cocktail contains 189 calories
Alcohol content:
- 1.4 standard drinks
- 16.54% alc./vol. (16.54° proof)
- 19.9 grams of pure alcohol
- More Aperitivo/aperitif cocktails
- More Classic/vintage cocktails
- More Fruity (e.g. Pornstar Martini) 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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