Name: Yale Fence
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 30 ml Calvados apple brandy; 30 ml Gin; 30 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth

Ingredients

1 fl oz

Calvados / apple brandy / straight applejack

1 fl oz

Hayman's London Dry Gin

1 fl oz

Strucchi Rosso Vermouth

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Yale Fence contains 186 calories

Alcohol content:

1.6 standard drinks
25.51% alc./vol. (51.02° proof)
23 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Rosso/rouge/sweet vermouth (di Torino) — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

An exhumed classic recommended to me by J. E. Clapham of Clapham Cocktails, who told us that this recipe was eponymously named after the Yale Fence which crossed the Yale University campus in Connecticut, USA. The three-rail fence was the main social hub for students at the university, with various sections reserved for students of different years, clubs, teams and societies. A carved stone plaque, "The Old Yale Fence Stood Here", now commemorates the fence which stood for 51 years until its demise in 1888, leading to the formation of The Yale Fence Club. Jason surmises that the cocktail "was probably created at the Yale Fence Club in the early 1900s."

This cocktail first appears in David Embury's 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks.

YALE FENCE
1 part Italian Vermouth
1 part Applejack
1 part Gin
Stir. A twist of lemon over each drink.

David Embury, 1948

Comments & Discussion

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Felicia Premium Member 1y

So I didn’t go to Yale and I’ve never been to Duke’s (though I live next door to Duke U…I loved this! Used to local amazing apple brandy from Fair Game - it’s a keeper.

Scott McIsaac Premium Member 3y

I don't remember this when I was attending Yale, but I only visited the Fence Club a couple of times. Anyway, I tried it with Hayman's Old Tom on the theory that they would have originally made it with Old Tom, and it was exquisite!

J. E. Clapham of Clapham Cocktails 3y

Just tried this again using some Sacred English Spiced Vermouth, which is apparently what they use at Duke's in Mayfair. Fantastic!

John Hinojos Premium Member 3y

What a perfect after-dinner or evening sipping cocktail The gin and calvados work perfectly together. The vermouth enhances the herbal flavours and adds some sweetness. Balanced and none of the ingredients overshadow. Pleasantly spirit forward. On my favourites, but may try with a 1/4 oz of applejack-in-bond to spike it up a bit.