Duchess

Difford's Guide
Discerning Drinkers (58 ratings)

Serve in a

Coupe glass

Garnish:

Orange zest twist.

How to make:

STIR all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.

1 1/2 fl oz Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
1 1/2 fl oz Strucchi Dry Vermouth
1/2 fl oz La Fée Parisienne absinthe
1/2 fl oz Chilled water
1 dash Orange Bitters by Angostura
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Read about cocktail measures and measuring.

Difford’s Guide to Cocktails Book 17th Edition image

Difford’s Guide to Cocktails Book 17th Edition

Perhaps the world's biggest cocktail book! Certainly, our biggest yet, 624 pages, 6cm (2.3inch) thick and weighing 2.25kg (5lb). Our Seventeenth Edition

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Easy Jigger

The Easy Jigger® is a measure designed for use when making cocktails, primarily in the home but also by professional bartenders. It has a unique design

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Review:

Aniseed and liquorice notes from absinthe pervade this vermouth-based cocktail, even though I have dramatically reduced the amount used from the original recipe which calls for equal parts of each ingredient. The Duchess is a cocktail for absinthe lovers.

History:

Adapted from a recipe in the 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book which specifies one-third of each: absinthe, French vermouth and dry vermouth with the instruction to "stir well and strain into cocktail glass." The recipe for the Duchess Cocktail in the 1931 The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book calls for the same trio of equal parts ingredients but with the addition of a dash of orange bitters and the indication that the drink should be served frappé. Interestingly, the instruction to serve "frappé" is omitted from the 1935 third edition of The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book.

DUCHESS COCKTAIL.
1/3 French Vermouth.
1/3 Italian Vermouth.
1/3 Absinthe.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930

DUCHESS
Dash of Oraange Bitters
One-third Absinthe
One-third French Vermouth
One-third Italian Vermouth
Frappé

Albert Stevens Crockett, Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Days, 1931

Alcohol content:

  • 1.5 standard drinks
  • 18.02% alc./vol. (36.04° proof)
  • 21.7 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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Difford’s Guide to Cocktails Book 17th Edition image

Difford’s Guide to Cocktails Book 17th Edition

Perhaps the world's biggest cocktail book! Certainly, our biggest yet, 624 pages, 6cm (2.3inch) thick and weighing 2.25kg (5lb). Our Seventeenth Edition

Buy it here
Easy Jigger image

Easy Jigger

The Easy Jigger® is a measure designed for use when making cocktails, primarily in the home but also by professional bartenders. It has a unique design

Buy it here
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