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Melba Cocktail

Name: Melba Cocktail
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 50 ml Light white rum; 22.5 ml Swedish Punsch; 15 ml Lime juice; 5 ml Grenadine syrup; 2.5 ml Absinthe; 10 ml Chilled water

Difford’s Guide

Discerning Drinkers (10)

Measurements in:

Serves:

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Ingredients
1 ²⁄₃ fl oz	Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)
³⁄₄ fl oz	Swedish Punsch liqueur
¹⁄₂ fl oz	Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
¹⁄₆ fl oz	Monin Grenadine Syrup
¹⁄₁₂ fl oz	La Fée Parisienne absinthe
¹⁄₃ fl oz	Chilled water/mineral water

How to make

Glass

Photographed in a LSA Olivia Champagne Saucer

Method

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of float mint leaf or peg to rim.
SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Melba Cocktail contains 184 calories

Alcohol content:

1.6 standard drinks
19.29% alc./vol. (38.58° proof)
21.7 grams of pure alcohol

History

Adapted from a recipe in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book.

MELBA COCKTAIL.
2 Dashes Grenadine.
2 Dashes Absinthe.
The juice of ¼ lemon or ½ lime.
½ Glass Bacardi Rum.
½ Glass Swedish Punch.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
Harry Craddock, 1930

Created in honour of Dame Nellie Melba, the stage name of famous Australian operatic soprano, Helen Porter Mitchell (1861–1931). Her adopted name Melba is short for the city where she first performed aged just six at a concert in the Melbourne Town Hall. Her first professional performance, aged 23, was at a benefit concert also in Melbourne. She performed regularly at London's Covent Garden, a short walk from The Savoy.

In 1918, she was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire and such was Dame Melba's popularity that, as well as to this cocktail, her name was attached to the Peach Melba dessert and Melba toast, patented in 1929 by Bert Weil.

Review

This would be better named, "Melba Daiquiri", as it is a Swedish punsch, absinthe, and grenadine influenced Daiquiri. I've dramatically changed the equal parts rum and Swedish punsch specified in The Savoy Cocktail Book original, and upped the grenadine, but hopefully for the better.

Cocktail of the day:

23rd March 2026 is Melba Toast Day

Variations/similar cocktails

Peack Melba Cocktail

Don Q Cristal Rum 750ml - makes 15 cocktails
$12.99 $0.87 per cocktail Don Q Cristal Rum image

Monin Grenadine Syrup (US) 750ml - makes 150.5 cocktails
$14.99 $0.10 per cocktail Monin Grenadine Syrup (US) image

La Fee Parisienne absinthe 200ml - makes 80 cocktails
$17.99 $0.22 per cocktail La Fee Parisienne absinthe image

$1.19 per cocktail*

Makes a minimum of 15 cocktails.
Shipping and applicable tax calculated at checkout.

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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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Comments & Discussion

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J. E. Clapham of Clapham Cocktails 4y

Fun fact: this drink was created in honour of Nellie Melba, the stage name adopted by Australian operatic soprano Helen Porter Mitchell (1861–1931). Melba is actually short from Melbourne, where she made her debut.

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 4y

Indeed a fun fact. I've taken the liberty of embellishing the origin above. Many thanks.

John Hinojos Premium Member 4y

On first sip, it seems a nice little cocktail, but it has a burst of flavours. It definitely benefits from breathing. I found it a tad sweet, but OK as a night cap. We did use an overproof rum to help tone down the sweetness. Maybe use a dash of pomegranate juice instead of the grenadine? Tried adding 4 drop of orange bitters. Helped a little.

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