The Cappa Cocktail

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (20 ratings)

Photographed in a Nude Savage Pony glass

Ingredients:
1 14 oz Hayman's London Dry Gin
1 oz Pineau des Charentes blanc
13 oz Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Nick & Nora glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist .
  3. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
  5. Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.
  6. EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 7/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 6/10
Cocktail of the day:

2nd February 2025 is The day crown bottle cap was patented

Review:

A balanced marriage of gin, fortified wine and maraschino.

View readers' comments

History:

Adapted from a recipe created in 2012 by Franky Marshall at 15 Romolo in San Francisco, California. Ms Franky named her Cappa cocktail for the black cloaks, or Cappas, worn by the Black Friar monks at the monastery, which now houses the Plymouth gin distillery.

Gary "gaz" Regan reported on The Cappa Cocktail in his The Cocktailian column in The San Francisco Chronicle during August 2013, by which time Ms Franky Marshall was bartending at New York's The Dead Rabbit. In gaz's column, the recipe given is:
"1½ ounces Plymouth gin
1½ ounces Pierre Ferrand Pineau des Charentes
½ ounce Luxardo maraschino liqueur
1 lemon twist, as garnish
Instructions: Stir all the ingredients, except the garnish, over ice, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the lemon twist.
"

Nutrition:

One serving of The Cappa Cocktail contains 130 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.3 standard drinks
  • 24.13% alc./vol. (24.13° proof)
  • 18.7 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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Erik Lindgren’s Avatar Erik Lindgren
5th June at 16:29
This is an excellent cocktail. Mellow and fragrant. Lets the floral notes of the pineau shine, supported by the gin. I used a modern citrusy London dry style gin, but with this paired back style of cocktail I can really see the choice of gin making a huge difference. Pineau charentes needs more recognition!
Tuber Magnatum’s Avatar Tuber Magnatum
22nd December 2024 at 23:59
Delicious and notwithstanding not the original proportions (45ml/45ml/15) nicely balanced; it benefits from the extra gin. And for those interested, she apparently named it for the black cloaks, or cappas, worn by the Black Friar monks who used to dwell in what is now the Plymouth gin distillery as read here in an interview with her - https://www.sfgate.com/wine/cocktailian/article/cappa-destined-to-become-a-classic-drink-4704078.php
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
23rd December 2024 at 09:43
Many thanks, Tuber. I've added this above.