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Ocean Cable

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (41)
Measurements in:
Serves:
1
Ingredients
1 1/2 fl oz Canadian blended whisky
1 fl oz Aromatized wine (e.g. Lillet Blanc)
1/2 fl oz Cognac (brandy)
1 dash Peychaud's or other Creole-style bitters

How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Nick & Nora glass

Method

  1. Select and pre-chill a NICK & NORA GLASS.
  2. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  3. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 9/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 9/10

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Ocean Cable contains 177 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.7 standard drinks
  • 25.61% alc./vol. (51.22° proof)
  • 23.2 grams of pure alcohol
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History

This cocktail originally appears in William James "Billy" Tarling's 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book Coronation Edition, where its creation is attributed to one A. G. Scott. We've respected the proportions of the original recipe, but as recommended by fellow Discerning Drinker Jason E. Clapham, we've switched the original Angostura Bitters for Creole-style bitters.

OCEAN CABLE
Invented by A. G. Scott
3/6 Canadian Club Whisky.
2/6 Lillet.
1/6 Brandy.
1 dash Angostura.
Shake.

William J. Tarling, Café Royal Cocktail Book, 1937

Review

Dry, aromatic and spirituous, this is a cocktail to be taken seriously, but if to your taste, with great enjoyment.

Variations/similar cocktails

Saratoga

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Gallery

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Comments & Discussion

John CARR Premium Member
Looks like everyone’s been having fun with this one! I had the exact 30ml tail end of my bottle of Cocchi Americano as it turned out, Martell blue Swift helped to fill out the locally underpowered 37% Canadian club, and I kept strictly to mr Clapham’s conjuration to peychauds bitters. Copied Chris brislawn’s lemon twist. An elegant, worthy and ingenious little concoction. I would def revert to the canonical Lillet - where available in these straitened times 😉
score: 1
George Jetson
My variant:
1 1⁄2 oz Canadian blended whisky (CC Classic High Proof)

1 oz Aromatized wine (Cocchi Americano)

1⁄2 oz Cognac (Ragnaud-Saborin Fontvielle #35)

1 dash Bitters (The Bitter Truth Bogart’s Bitters)

The bitters in concert with the high proof (58%) Canadian Club gives it almost a Manhattan vibe, but the Cocchi bitterness and smooth Cognac take it somewhere else. Delicious!
score: 2
Chris Brislawn
I thought this needed a bit more complexity than Lillet Blanc and one dash of Peychaud's would provide. Took J. Hinojos' suggestion and used Cocchi Americano instead of Lillet, and I also added a dash of Bitter Truth Creole Bitters to the dash of Peychaud's. No garnish was specified so I added a lemon twist. The interplay between the lemon, the BT Creole and the Cocchi Americano, layered atop the split base balanced between Crown Royal and cognac, was very nice; no lack of complexity in this drink!
score: 1
William Smith
My second time making this. I used Pendleton Midnight, because it was the only Canadian I had. Very pleasant, balanced and not too sweet.
score: 1
John Hinojos Premium Member
Perfect, strong Prohibition era cocktail. We are not big fans of Littet, so substituted our favourite, Cocchi Americao, It was great. Hints of spices from the Peychaud bitters. Something to really get ready for a nice supper.
score: 2
Jeremy Harrold
Definitely a 9/10 on the Boozy scale! You can’t binge drink on this. The Lillet reigns it back from a 10/10 and gives some extra fruit flavours. I like Peychaud’s Bitters and that gives a lingering finish.
score: 1
Andy Parnell-Hopkinson
Not outstanding but I prefer with angostura over peychaud bitters.
score: 0
Sammy Karachi
IMO, an improved Saratoga. Best made with cask strength spirits. Not sure about the Peychaud's bitters, I prefer an aromatic bitter with less cinnamon than Ango -- Boker's or Jerry Thomas Decanter work v well.
score: 2