Commodore No. 2

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (47 ratings)

Photographed in an UB Retro Coupe 1920 7.75oz

Ingredients:
56 oz Bourbon whiskey
56 oz White crème de cacao liqueur
56 oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
16 oz Monin Grenadine Syrup
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.
  3. SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass filled with crushed ice.
  5. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 4/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 5/10

Review:

Lemon juice balances this bourbon and crème de cacco-based red-coloured cocktail that is perhaps best served as an after-dinner cocktail.

View readers' comments

History:

The second of two Commodore cocktails in Albert S. Crockett's 1931 Old Waldorf Bar Days, both served frappé. Crockett's Commodore No.1 is rum-based and without crème de cacao liqueur. He stipulates the No.2 recipe as:
"One-third Lemon juice
One-third Bourbon Whiskey
One-third Crème de Cacao
Dash Grenadine Syrup
Frappé in champagne glass"

Nutrition:

One serving of Commodore No. 2 contains 148 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 0.9 standard drinks
  • 16.09% alc./vol. (16.09° proof)
  • 12.9 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 6 comments for Commodore No. 2.
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Tony Jones’ Avatar Tony Jones
7th March at 19:36
Really successful from the standard recipe!
The brown cacao brings some viscosity, and its sweetness balances with the lemon's sour.
The grenadine makes a pretty pink; the low dose of bourbon provides interest without overpowering.
First brown cacao cocktail, and it's a winner!
Tony Jones’ Avatar Tony Jones
7th March at 19:39
Ha - after saying I'd done this from the standard recipe, I spotted the recipe wants white c de c!
Giffard's bottles are great value, but I'm not buying both, am I!?
Simon Sedgley’s Avatar Simon Sedgley
24th June 2024 at 13:37
I don't like to sweat the small stuff but in your history of this cocktail I suspect that you meant to say "stipulates", not "stimulates". btw I now have one of your jiggers and what an excellent little thing it is...bravo.
Paloma Difford’s Avatar Paloma Difford
24th June 2024 at 17:51
Hi Simon, thanks for spotting our typo...now fixed! Happy to hear you're enjoying the Easy Jigger 😊
Chris Dimal’s Avatar Chris Dimal
29th March 2023 at 11:53
An absolutely delectable dessert drink with woody, intense Bourbon, fruity sweetness of grenadine, nice, dessert notes of the Cacao and the lemon to provide acidity and balance. But the serve was a disaster as my drink overflowed over the crushed ice, resulting in at least a third of the drink being wasted. What a crying shame!
Haig Khachatrian’s Avatar Haig Khachatrian
28th October 2020 at 01:39
Is this meant to be served up in a coupe as pictured or over crushed ice as described?
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
28th October 2020 at 08:11
It should be served over crushed ice in a coupe. I'll re-shoot to replace pic ASAP. Many thanks for bringing to my attention.
6th August 2020 at 04:29
A bit all over the map. Balanced in that each sip seems to swing between two poles. We found this only OK.
Avatar

Anonymous

2nd May 2020 at 21:05
Really delicious cocktail. I liked the combination of bourbon with grenadine. Cacao liqueur also suits well