Name: Saturn
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 75 ml Gin; 15 ml Falernum liqueur; 15 ml Orgeat syrup; 15 ml Passion fruit syrup; 30 ml Lemon juice; 1&frasl;4 barspoon Xanthan gum (E415)

Ingredients

2 1/2 fl oz

Hayman's London Dry Gin

1/2 fl oz

Difford's Falernum liqueur

1/2 fl oz

Monin Almond (Orgeat) Syrup

1/2 fl oz

Monin Passion Fruit Syrup

1 fl oz

Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

¹⁄₄ barspoon

Xanthan gum (E415)

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a SLING GLASS.

Cut a thick lemon slice wheel and remove the inside to leave a round ring of zest. Skewer the ring and a Luxardo Maraschino Cherry to form a cherry planet encircled by a lemon zest ring.

Method

DRY BLEND (without ice) first 5 ingredients (all but Xanthan gum) on a slow setting and then gradually add Xanthan while continuing to blend.

Add 7oz scoop of crushed ice and BLEND some more.

POUR into chilled glass.

Garnish

Garnish with pre-prepared skewered cherry planet encircled by a lemon zest ring rested across the rim.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Alcohol content:

We don't have enough information to calculate the alc./vol., but based on known ingredients, this recipe contains at least:

26.5 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Orgeat (almond) sugar syrup (2:1) — Nuts

History

Created by José "Popo" Valencia Galsini, who emigrated from the Philippines to become a well-known bartender in California. He came up with the Saturn in 1969, while working at Palms In The Jungle restaurant in Anaheim, and it was his winning cocktail in that year's International Bartender's Association World Championship.

Originally named X-15, after the North American Aviation rocket spaceplane, Popo renamed his creation after the third of the experimental planes crashed on 15th November 1967. The pilot who died that day, Major Michael J. Adams, was posthumously awarded astronaut wings as his flight, prior to the in-flight breakup, exceeded the altitude that NASA recognises as the edge of space.

The Saturn is known to modern bartenders thanks to Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, who copied the recipe from a commemorative glass he found in a Californian thrift shop. After researching the cocktail and its creator, he published the Saturn in his 2010 book Beachbum Berry Remixed.

Gallery

Comments & Discussion

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trendomexico 3 months ago

I live in Mexico, by any means quite tropical. To get Passion Fruit is very difficult. I went for the giffard syrup, but I sense it more sweet than fruity. Nevertheless if not the full 15 ml, but instead just a bar spoon, I find it delicious. Go with less syrup and make a Saturn Perfect. I asked the IAs and gave the full Solar System recipes. I recommend you try. From Mercury to Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus with no 'albur'

Matthew Kimble 6 months ago

I tried a different version of the garnish which worked very well. Take a dehydrated lemon or lime wheel, use an apple corer to remove a circle from the middle and insert the maraschino cherry in there. Aside from being more accurate regarding the ring axis, you don’t need the cocktail pick. I’d upload a photo but unfortunately there isn’t the option.

Simon Difford 6 months ago

Hi Matthew. If you click the "Add your version" (under the photo at the top of the page), then you have the option to upload your photo and also amend to your recipe.

Matthew Kimble 6 months ago

Thanks very much!

Simon Sedgley 7 months ago

Such a luscious cocktail. We also enjoy a rum version, substituting 60ml light gold rum and 15ml rum agricole for the gin. If you want to make your own passionfruit syrup, here's what we do. Combine 1/3 cup each of white sugar and hot water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the pulp of 3 or 4 passionfruit and stir. Strain into an airtight glass or plastic container. No cooking, 5 minutes of effort...perfect. It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks, even longer if you add a shot of vodka.

Rob de Santos 8 months ago

A couple of peripheral comments on this drink. The X-15 is referred in Jeff Berry's books as built by Douglas Aircraft. This is a rare error by the Beachbum. It was a North American Aviation [later Rockwell Int'l] product. The plane that crashed on Nov. 15, 1967, was the X-15-3, the third of the experimental models built. The pilot who died that day, Major Michael J. Adams, was posthumously awarded astronaut wings as his flight, prior to the in-flight breakup, exceeded the altitude that NASA recognizes as the edge of space. Maj. Adams is listed on astronaut memorials. The Saturn was popular at the tiki themed parties I tended in the 90's and early 00's. During my aviation career, I had the pleasure to meet several of the pilots and engineers who worked on the X-15.

Simon Difford 8 months ago

Many thanks, Rob. I've amended above to remember Major Michael J. Adams, the first American killed during a space mission.

Steven Jepson 8 months ago

Very nice though maybe a touch more Orgeat and Passion Fruit to counter the ICE COLD.
Looks amazing in the glass though

Nicola Adams 2 years ago

This is such an amazing tasting cocktail, it’s up there with the classics in my book. For an even brighter, even zingy-er taste, instead of passion fruit syrup I use the contents of @ 1/2 a fresh passion fruit - seeds and all - along a dash of simple syrup, and as this is usually ends up being rather more than 7.5ml, I adjust the amounts of everything else to keep the same ratios. I can't always be bothered crushing ice, but luckily made as a regular shaken cocktail it’s still truly STELLAR!

Jose Cruz 2 years ago

5 oz of ice was too diluted even thought i went 10ml orgeat/passion/faler. To make up for this i added another 20 ML orgeat syrup (total 10+20=30) awesome drink after that, spicy and rich.

Jose Cruz 2 years ago

it did also make it sweeter, but not cloying. a less dry alternative, maybe even medium sweet.

Jose Cruz 2 years ago

Okay. This proportions land this drink as the best cocktail i recall ever tasting or making. The key is not to over-blend it, for me just a pulse or two. I am using special edition Etsu Yuzu Japanese Gin, which with the lemon and the orgeat balance in ever evolving waves of flavors that keep changing as the ice leftovers dynamically transform each sip. 12/10

Michael From Canada 3 years ago

It was good but too diluted with 8oz of ice. Next time I will try with 6oz

Simon Difford 3 years ago

Agreed. I usually use a 7oz scoop and I have reduced the size above to reflect this.

Matthew Clark 3 years ago

This drink is absolutely delicious. Make big batches in the blender and you will delight party guests. I add a few dashes of grenadine syrup to give the drink a more Saturnine color.

Damian Cibor 3 years ago

Wondering will shaking with crushed ice and straining on fresh crushed ice will be as good as blending? I hate cleaning my blender :)

Simon Difford 3 years ago

I'd try shaking with a mix of cubbed and crushed ice then straining over fresh crushed ice. Best to take ice from -18 freezer and then crush to ensure does not overly dilute the cocktail.