Name: Orchard Keeper
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Calvados apple brandy; 22.5 ml Bianco/blanc/blanco vermouth; 15 ml Honey and water syrup

Orchard Keeper
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Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
2 oz	Calvados / apple brandy / straight applejack
³⁄₄ oz	Strucchi Bianco Vermouth
¹⁄₂ oz	Honey syrup (3 parts honey to 1 water by weight)

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
Prepare thin apple slice (ideally dehydrated) for garnish.
STIR all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
Float (dehydrated) apple slice for garnish.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Bianco/blanc/blanco vermouth - Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Cocktail of the day:

20th May 2025 is World Bee Day

Review:

Apple brandy delicately sweetened and flavoured with honey and aromatised by vermouth.

View readers' comments

Nutrition:

One serving of Orchard Keeper contains 218 calories

Alcohol content:

1.6 standard drinks
22.29% alc./vol. (22.29° proof)
21.7 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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John Hinojos

21st May 2024 at 00:29

Made again, still using only half the honey syrup, but instead of Calvados use Laird's Applejack 86. Laird's has a stronger apple flavour and at 86 proof a nice kick.

Matt Excell

2nd June 2023 at 09:57

Similar to other apple brandy and vermouth cocktails such as The Star, Apple Blossom, Marconi, but with the vermouth style switched up. Simon has the Apple Blossom listed as one of the best Spring cocktails, but having tried both - I think this is the better suited to Spring. Both great though!

David Teager

6th November 2022 at 23:56

I made the honey syrup 1:1 using fresh-pressed cider instead of water. Makes a very nice autumnal drink.

Kevin Haynes

22nd June 2022 at 22:05

Excellent drink! I didn’t feel like making honey syrup so just stirred a spoon of honey with the Calvados before adding vermouth and ice. Turned out just fine!

Keith Clarke

20th May 2022 at 22:55

This is a surprisingly pleasant drink, but I just used the last of my wild honey from last year so that is a bit sad seeing we don't have leaves on the trees in my part of the world yet.

John Hinojos

1st January 2022 at 01:04

This was great. Did use 1/2 the amount of honey syrup as I like my cocktails drier. The blend of the calvados and the honey is perfect and the hint of the vermouth was outstanding.

Daryl Smith

28th August 2021 at 23:14

I think it's just a little boozy for me when you're drinking it, the after-taste is quite pleasant, just needs something to knock that initial harsh edge off it, not much but something.

John Hinojos

1st January 2022 at 01:21

You may want to try a splash of apple juice or use a bit more honey syrup. Based on your calvados, it may be a bit drier and needs a little sweetness to help you with the upfront edge of the calvados.

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