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San Francisco (Café Royal)

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (198)
San Francisco (Café Royal) image
Measurements in:
Serves:
1
Ingredients
5⁄6 fl oz Hayman's Sloe Gin liqueur
5⁄6 fl oz Strucchi Dry Vermouth
5⁄6 fl oz Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
1 dash Orange Bitters by Angostura
1 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

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How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Nick & Nora glass

Prepare

  1. Select and pre-chill a NICK & NORA GLASS.
  2. Prepare garnish of Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

  1. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  2. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of San Francisco (Café Royal) contains 125 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 0.9 standard drinks
  • 15.85% alc./vol. (31.71° proof)
  • 12 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

History

First published in William James "Billy" Tarling's 1937 Café Royal Bar Book.

SAN FRANCISCO
1 dash Orange Bitters.
1 dash Angostura Bitters.
1/3 Sloe Gin.
1/3 Martini Sweet Vermouth.
1/3 French Vermouth.
Mix and serve with a cherry.

William Tarling, 1937

Review

Fruity, aromatic and complex. This is one of my favourite sloe gin cocktails, made all the more appealing by its bijou serve.

Variations/similar cocktails

The Café Royal's San Francisco is virtually the same as the older Blackthorn No. 1, which has the same ingredients but (in our rendition) used in slightly more generous measures.

There's also a somewhat different, modern tall fruity San Francisco cocktail.

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$1.25 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 30 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.


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Comments & Discussion

Doug James Premium Member
Absolutely lovely cocktail. I added one drop of 4:1 saline solution and the flavors coalesced beautifully and just sang! Bright and fruity with a slightly dry finish. Brilliant!
score: 1
Mike Premium Member
Made with Plymouth Sloe Gin, Dolin Dry and Cocci Sweet. As described, it is very fruity and easy on the palate. The bitters play a crucial role in pulling it all together. Enjoyable.
score: 1
I D
Currently out of sloe gin but made a very nice drink with damson gin. Also recommended with patxaran instead of sloe gin.
score: 2
AJ Premium Member
I appreciate this little gem of a sipper and was able to open an Irish sloe gift. Used: Minke Sloe, Cocchi VDT, Dolin Dry, BT Orange and 1821 Prohibition Aromatic. Lovely. I love an “around the house cocktail” something for whilst cooking or doing house work, unwinding etc. this will certainly be part of my Rolodex of around the housers. Smoothing but not one that will get you shnockered, so you can still run to the market for a missing ingredient for your braise/roast.
score: 5
Annechien Premium Member
This idea of “around the house cocktails” got stuck in my head. I love it. Read it the first time I tried this cocktail a few weeks ago and was thinking about it this evening when I wanted an easy and comforting drink for unwinding after work. I really should make myself a list of around the housers too.
score: 3
Simon Sedgley Premium Member
By "bijou serve", do you mean small and elegant?
score: 1
Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member
Yup, that's what I was trying to convey. Perhaps I should have said "small and elegant"?
score: 0
Matt Premium Member
So much flavor from a simple, equal parts cocktail! Quite sweet, with cinnamon-spice notes. Excellent!
score: 2
John CARR Premium Member
A perfect little cocktail. The Internet sweetness and fruitiness of the sloe gin is opened and balanced by the herbal and drying characteristics of the vermouths. Beautiful! I served in a mini martini glass xx
score: 1
John CARR Premium Member
Intense, not Internet 🙄
score: 1
Anna Thompson
Very vermouth forward. Not unpleasant but I think I would double the gin next time - probably perfection for me then.
score: 1
Anne-Marie Murray
This is a lovely, soft sip. Not too boozy, just a hint of sweetness.
score: 3
Paloma Rien
This was very mellow and vermouth-forward (which will suit some drinkers, like my husband, perfectly!) For my part, I missed some of the punchiness / bite of gin. I’m going to try adding in some additional London Dry next time to try to sharpen it up :)
score: 3

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Difford’s Shop logo
$1.25 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 30 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.


Orders are processed by a licensed Fulproof retailer. The buy now button is added simply for convenience.

Checkout

* May not include all ingredients. Price per cocktail is an estimate based on cost of one cocktail with ingredients shown above and does not include shipping.

Visit Difford’s Shop USA

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