Imperial Army
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Imperial Army
Glass:
Serve in a Coupe glass
| 1 1⁄2 oz | Hayman's London Dry Gin |
| 1⁄2 oz | Lime juice (freshly squeezed) |
| 1⁄3 oz | Monin Almond (Orgeat) Syrup |
| 6 drop | Bob's Tonka Bitters optional |
| 3 drop | Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s |
| 3⁄4 oz | Brut champagne/sparkling wine chilled |
Prepare:
- Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
- Prepare garnish of lime zest twist.
How to make:
- SHAKE first 5 ingredients with ice.
- FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
- TOP with sparkling wine.
Garnish:
- Express lime zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.
Allergens:
Recipe contains the following allergens:
- Orgeat (almond) sugar syrup (2:1) - Nuts
- Brut champagne/sparkling wine - Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites
Strength & taste guide:
No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Review:
The sparkling wine dries this cocktail, so it benefits from a tad more orgeat than you may expect. Strike the right balance and the Imperial Army's layers of flavour are delicious.
Variant:
History:
This vintage cocktail was apparently written about by Gustav Selmer Fougner in his Along the Wine Trail column in the New York Sun newspaper, which he wrote from 1933 until his death in 1941. So far, I've not been able to find this piece, or an original recipe, so the above is my own interpretation. I discovered this cocktail, referenced to Fougner on the menu of London's Luggage Room bar in September 2025.
Nutrition:
One serving of Imperial Army contains 148 calories
Alcohol content:
- 1.1 standard drinks
- 16.88% alc./vol. (16.88° proof)
- 15.7 grams of pure alcohol
- More Citrusy cocktails
- More Classic/vintage cocktails
- More Sours (citrus) 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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