Name: Lion's Tail
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Bourbon whiskey; 10 ml Pimento dram; 15 ml Lime juice; 5 ml Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1); 1 dash Aromatic bitters

Ingredients

2 fl oz

Bourbon whiskey

1/3 fl oz

St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram liqueur

1/2 fl oz

Lime juice (freshly squeezed)

1/6 fl oz

Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water) 65.0°Brix

1 dash

Angostura Aromatic Bitters

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of lime zest twist.

Method

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.

STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

Express lime zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Lion's Tail contains 206 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
23.93% alc./vol. (47.87° proof)
23.2 grams of pure alcohol

History

Adapted from a recipe that first appeared in William James "Billy" Tarling's Café Royal Cocktail Book, published in London in 1937. However, the drinks creator is likely to have been an American bartender driven to London by Prohibition. "Twisting the lion's tail" was an American slang expression for provoking the British which emerged during the period of American Anglophobia between the World Wars.

LION'S TAIL
Invented by L. A. Clarke
2/3 Seagram's Bourbon Whisky.
1/6 Pimento Liqueur.
1/6 fresh Lime Juice.
Teaspoonful Gomme Syrup.
Dash Angostura Bitters.
Shake.

William James Tarling, 1937

Comments & Discussion

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Loz Horner 8w

We made this on a hot summer day which I realise is odd but I promised the nice man in The Whisky Exchange it would be the first cocktail I made with my bottle of Pimento Dram. It’s a very nice cocktail. Spice, Bourbon and Bitters nicely balanced. As some have said, it’s more reminiscent of a rum cocktail. We will revisit when the nights get longer.

Jordi Reig 16w

A wonderful cocktail! We discovered it thanks to some customers who ordered it, and we definitely found the recipe in the Diffords guide. It looks like a Sour, but much spicier. Perfect for an afternoon by the fireplace. 🍸🔥

Laurie Cavanaugh 33w

Used cardamom bitters in place of angostura, but otherwise made exactly as written.Delicious! But as someone else already commented, it was gone too soon.

Susan Williams 40w

The full 1/2 oz of lime was too sour for my taste. Next time I’ll cut that by half. I like the bourbon - allspice - angostura blend.

Susan Williams 40w

Twist the Lion’s Tail: 2 oz Bourbon, 1/2 oz Allspice Dram, 1/2 oz Averna Amaro, 1/2 oz Lemon Juice. Shaken with ice. Added a dried Orange slice. Spicy, autumnal, not as sour and didn’t need the sugar syrup.

John CARR Premium Member 1y

Like a rum-based drink without the … rum 😉. Fresh, fruity, but with plenty of depth as well. Disappeared in a few sips, as the best cocktails should. Perfectly balanced and delicious. Will def make again. Makers 46, bitter truth pimento dram, angostura bitters.

Chris Brislawn 1y

Here's a vote for garnishing with a dusting of nutmeg in addition to a lime twist. I also added a good dash of homemade unsweetened pimento dram to reinforce the St. Elizabeth's. A nice use of allspice dram in a bourbon drink.

Mike Beatty 1y

Mustache Ride (from Amaro) reduce bourbon to 1.5 and add 0.5 of Cynar; flop lime for lemon.

Calvin Grant Premium Member 2y

It's so...all spicey! With a lot of other good flavours. Made it with a bottled in bond strength bourbon. Not too sweet. Improves as it airs and warms. As per previous posts must try musgovado syrup and nutmeg garnish. It got a heart.