Golden Dawn

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (13 ratings)

Serve in a Martini glass

Ingredients:
34 oz Hayman's London Dry Gin
1 oz Calvados / apple brandy / straight applejack
1 oz Luxardo Apricot Albicocca Liqueur
1 oz Orange juice (freshly squeezed)
2 dash Angostura Aromatic Bitters
0.08 oz Monin Grenadine Syrup
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Garnish: Orange zest twist

How to make:

SHAKE first 5 ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass. Carefully POUR grenadine into centre of drink so that it sinks to create a sunrise effect.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 7/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 6/10

Review:

Although it spoils the sunrise effect, this drink is less tart if the syrup lying on the bottom is stirred into the drink (or, better, included when shaking).

View readers' comments

History:

Created in September 1930 by Tom Buttery at the Berkeley Hotel, London and first published in William J. "Billy" Tarling's 1937 Café Royal Bar Book. There are now many versions of this classic cocktail (David Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks lists three), the above recipe is my favourite.

GOLDEN DAWN
Invented by the late T. Buttery
¼ Orange Juice.
¼ Apricot Brandy.
¼ Calvados (Trou Normand).
¼ Gin (Booth's Dry).
A dash of Grenadine to be added after the cocktail is poured out.

W. J. Tarling, 1937

Nutrition:

One serving of Golden Dawn contains 213 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.6 standard drinks
  • 19.43% alc./vol. (19.43° proof)
  • 22.5 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’ Avatar John Hinojos
19th April 2023 at 00:46
Great tasting. It is a bit sweeter than I was expecting; however, found adding a dash of orange bitters did enhance the orange flavour and lessen the sweetness. Our oranges are tree ripend so the juice could have been the cause of the sweetness. I know it would ruin the effect, I would make again without the grenadine.
Calvin Grant’s Avatar Calvin Grant
27th May 2022 at 02:11
Quite nice. Finely balanced complex of fruity flavors with just enough depth or structure from the aromatic bitters and the gin botanicals. My orange juice was lightly flavored and I shook the grenadine. Do try.
Beverly Stanton’s Avatar Beverly Stanton
26th February 2022 at 23:56
Not as tasty as it sounds. Found this combination to be missing something. Not bad however would not make again. Perhaps my orange juice was not up to par.