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Japanese Cocktail

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (106)
Japanese Cocktail image
Measurements in:
Serves:
1
Ingredients
2 swath Lemon peel
2 fl oz Cognac (brandy)
1⁄3 fl oz Monin Almond (Orgeat) Syrup
1⁄3 fl oz Chilled water/mineral water (omit if using wet ice)
3 dash Difford's Bokers Bitters By Bob's Bitters

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

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How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Nick & Nora glass

Prepare

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

Method

  1. REGAL STIR all ingredients (including lemon zest) with ice.
  2. STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

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

Flavour Profile

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Health & Nutrition

Alcohol content:

We don't have enough information to calculate the alc./vol., but based on known ingredients, this recipe contains at least:

  • 19.2 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

  • Orgeat (almond) sugar syrup (2:1) — Nuts

Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

History

Adapted from a recipe first published in Jerry "The Professor" Thomas' 1862 Bartender's Guide. This is one of the few cocktails in the book which is believed to be his own creation.

Japanese Cocktail.
(Use small bar glass.)
1 table-spoon of orgeat syrup.
½ teaspoonful of Bogart's bitters.
1 wine-glass of brandy.
1 or 2 pieces of lemon peel.
Fill the tumbler one-third with ice, and stir well with a spoon.

Jerry Thomas, 1862


It is thought that he created and named the drink in 1860 to commemorate the first Japanese mission to the USA. While in New York, the delegates stayed at the Metropolitan Hotel, just a block away from Jerry Thomas' bar at 622 Broadway. And as David Wondrich writes in his 2015 Updated and Revised Imbibe!, "I can't imagine that in their strolls around the neighbourhood, they wouldn't have stopped in to see the Professor for a quick one. And if you were Jerry Thomas, wouldn't you come up with something special to mark the occasion?"

More cocktails by Jerry "The Professor" Thomas

Review

Lightly sweetened and diluted cognac, flavoured with almond and a hint of spice.

Cocktail of the day:

5th January 2026 is Joma Shinji

Variations/similar cocktails

Improved Japanese Cocktail

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$0.20 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 75 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.


Orders are processed by a licensed Fulproof retailer. The buy now button is added simply for convenience.

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* May not include all ingredients. Price per cocktail is an estimate based on cost of one cocktail with ingredients shown above and does not include shipping.

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Gallery

Comments & Discussion

Ulysses Grand
Tweaked this somewhat puzzling classic (though I do like it) into something I find more complex and appealing:

Ambassador to Japan
2 oz Beach Rose infused Maison Rouge VSOP
.25 oz house-made orgeat
.5 oz earl grey infused Lustau Amontillado
3 dashes angostura
1 dash angostura orange
drop of saline
Lemon peel

I go back and forth between shaking and stirring this drink. Both work. If I’m drinking it after dinner I’ll stir.
score: 1
A J Wilson Premium Member
Just tried an experiment, because I was interested in “improving” this cocktail but without making it into a sour. I simply left out the chilled water and added 1/2 oz of fino sherry. I liked the result! The fino dilutes the drink while also adding an additional dimension of oxidative nuttiness. Next time I might try splitting the sherry evenly between fino and amontillado.
score: 1
Annechien Premium Member
I love this! I make it often. But then I’m a fan of spirit-forward drinks. I use Hennessy vs and home-made orgeat. Instead of boker’s bitters, which I don’t have, I use 1 dash ango + 1 dash cacao bitters + 1 coffee bean. It’s delicious.
score: 2
A J Wilson Premium Member
Just made it for the first time because I saw your comment, and glad I did! I used 1 dash ango, 1 dash Fee Bros Aztec, and 1 dash ango orange. Lovely. I was worried that it would be too sweet, but it balanced quite nicely in the end.
score: 2
Theo Clark
I don't... I don't know if your bokers bitters are different to mine, but this was an absolute miss for me. This was horrid. Insipid.
score: 0
Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member
I used The Bitter Truth Bogarts Bitters. What bitters did you use?
score: 2
Theo Clark
I used fee brothers cardamom boker's style bitters. Anders Erikson gave me the idea that it was effectively the same as, or close enough to other boker's or Bogart's bitters, but the result in this was like. Bile. Honestly it got me to finally order a bottle of actual bokers because I have to assume that these fee brothers bitters are just not cutting it for me.
score: 1
Simon Difford Simon Difford Continue thread (1 reply)
Ryan Hunter
Surprised to find the "Improved Japanese Cocktail" missing from the database (or at least the description here). 2:1:1 "sour style" with the addition of lemon juice and the bitters switched to Peychaud's.
score: 3
Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member
Thanks for bringing to my attention, Ryan. I'll add the improved version with a link above ASAP.
score: 4
Jerry Bryant
Because I am cooking Japanese-style fried rice for dinner I thought of this drink. I’ve made The Professor’s version in the past, and found it too sweet. Hoping that there was a Difford’s version, I searched the Guide and was rewarded with this fine version. Simon reduced the orgeat, puts the lemon peel into the mixing glass, and added the chilled water, which slows down the almondy sugar train enough that it’s an enjoyable antique cocktail. Thanks, Difford’s!
score: 4
Chris Dimal
Using the loophole of 'if it says Brandy use Brandy', made this drink with the cheap French grape brandy lying around. It is just that brandy sweetened and diluted with a delightful almond flavour. I did not have Boker's Bitters so I used Angostura, which did result in a rather sweet cocktail with only a tiny bit of citrus notes and bitterness towards the end.
score: 2
C.A. Mat
Delicious and unusual, but very sweet and creamy, possibly because it doesn't have much tartness/bitterness to balance the sugar. This may depend on your bitters (I don't have Boker's). Worth trying as written, but I either halve the orgeat or add a splash of lime--heretical, I know, but delicious.
score: 1
Zachary Taylor
I dial back substantially on the orgeat. Otherwise, too sweet for my taste.
score: 3

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Difford’s Shop logo
$0.20 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 75 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.


Orders are processed by a licensed Fulproof retailer. The buy now button is added simply for convenience.

Checkout

* May not include all ingredients. Price per cocktail is an estimate based on cost of one cocktail with ingredients shown above and does not include shipping.

Visit Difford’s Shop USA

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