Name: Black Jack No. 1
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Gin; 15 ml Kirschwasser; 15 ml Crème de cassis; 7.5 ml Chilled water

Black Jack No. 1
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Glass:

Serve in a Nick & Nora glass

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ fl oz	Hayman's London Dry Gin
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Kirschwasser (cherry) eau-de-vie
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Joseph Cartron Double Crème de Cassis de Bourgogne
¹⁄₄ fl oz	Chilled water omit if using wet ice

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a NICK & NORA GLASS.
Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

How to make:

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

Garnish:

EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

More burgundy than black, but dark fruits of the forest dominate this medium-dry cocktail.

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History:

Adapted from a recipe in the 1938 bookThe How and When by Hyman Gale and Gerald F. Marco.

Black Jack Cocktail No. 1
1 pony Dry Gin
¼ jigger Kirschwasser
¼ jigger Creme de Cassis
Stir well
Strain into Cocktail Glass
Add Cherry and Twist of Orange Peel.
Hyman Gale and Gerald F. Marco, The How and When, 1938

The name Black Jack traditionally refers to a water bottle made from air-dried leather. When the leather was dried, it tended to turn black.

Nutrition:

One serving of Black Jack No. 1 contains 172 calories

Alcohol content:

1.6 standard drinks
26.57% alc./vol. (53.14° proof)
22 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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Showing 5 comments for Black Jack No. 1.
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John CARR

28th July 2025 at 14:29

Pleasant without being amazing. Matt’s description is pretty spot on. Result will of course depend on quality of ingredients with only the three. My Kirschwasser is o-k, best I’ve been able to source so far. First outing for de kuyper cassis, and very enjoyable it is. Overall going with crowd and giving 4 stars. Reminiscent of a Blackthorn, as one might expect from the ingredients.

John CARR

28th July 2025 at 14:42

Also worked nicely with 15 ml Campari in the mix.

Matt

31st May 2025 at 02:00

A bit of a washed out, pale crimson color, completely clear. Gin/juniper dominates the nose. Very nice gin cocktail - gin leads the flavor and stays dominate throughout, but the kirschwasser and creme de cassis add a perfect touch of sweet berry fruitiness that starts in the mid-taste and lasts into the late taste, before the gin notes and boozy heat reassert themselves in the finish. Probably best after dinner, because of the sweet component, but I expect many would enjoy this in a cocktail hour as well. A great way to use some kirschwasser that has gathered dust in your liquor cabinet.

Chris Haley

19th April 2024 at 01:43

Especially great with a juniper forward classic London Dry.

John Hinojos

15th September 2023 at 03:34

Delightful as an evening sipper or nightcap. Just the right amount of sweetness and a punch from the gin. Blackcurrant flavour from the Creme de Casis is a nice touch, but not overpowering. Drinks very easily.

Duncan McDonald

10th August 2023 at 05:14

Berry forward, with a finish of Gin. Very nice if you are wanting something on the stronger side

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