Name: Pan American Clipper
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Calvados apple brandy; 15 ml Lime juice; 5 ml Grenadine syrup; 5 ml Sugar syrup (2:1); 2 dash Absinthe; 10 ml Chilled water

Pan American Clipper
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Photographed in an UB Retro Fizz 1920 7oz

Ingredients:
2 oz	Calvados / apple brandy / straight applejack
¹⁄₂ oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₆ oz	Monin Grenadine Syrup
¹⁄₆ oz	Monin Pure Cane Syrup (65.0°brix, equivalent to 2:1 rich syrup)
2 dash	La Fée Parisienne absinthe
¹⁄₃ oz	Chilled water omit if using wet ice

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
Prepare garnish of lime slice wheel.
SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
Garnish with lime slice on rim.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

Essentially, a Jack Rose with a couple of dashes of absinthe. (If making this with bonded-strength applejack in place of calvados, then knock back to 50ml.)

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History:

This vintage cocktail first appeared in Charles H. Baker's 1939 The Gentleman's Companion in which Baker says the cocktail is "from the notebook of one of our pilot friends–when off duty–may seek one." His friend obviously was a pilot for Pan Am Airlines.

The Pan American Clipper's modern-day popularity is partly due to its being heroed by St. John Frizell at his Fort Defiance bar in Brooklyn, New York City, USA. Our version of this classic by yours truly.

More cocktails by Charles H Baker

Nutrition:

One serving of Pan American Clipper contains 182 calories

Alcohol content:

1.3 standard drinks
18.79% alc./vol. (18.79° proof)
18 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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Erik Lindgren

14th February at 21:46

I made this today with Lairds bottled in bond and homemade grenadine, and DAMN, it was something right up my alley. By just looking at the specs I thought it would be out of balance, but I just found it very flavourful and complex. Of course you won’t like it if you use a bad grenadine or don’t like absinthe, but if you use quality ingredients it’s really solid.

Florian Ruf

27th June 2024 at 14:16

Good cocktail, using Calvados it is possible avoid the cocktail being too strong. If it is not homemade I suggest using 1,5cl Grenadine instead of the Grenadine and sugar syrup combo.

John Hinojos

12th June 2021 at 03:33

Very spirit forward. Like the touch of absinthe. Not too sweet so good as an evening sipping cocktail.

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