Crème de noyau cocktails

Crème de noyau (or noyaux) are liqueurs based on distillates of apricot, peach or cherry kernels and have an almond flavour reminiscent of amaretto. Some crème de noyau have a red hue this adds an attractive pink or red colour to many cocktails listed below.

If you can’t obtain crème de noyau then substitute with 3 parts amaretto to one part pomegranate juice.

Jockey Club
With: Dry gin, crème de noyau, lemon juice, sugar syrup, Angostura Bitters and orange bitters.
We say: Reddy-pink coloured with a sweet and sour almondy amaretto-like flavour fortified by gin botanicals.

Pink Squirrel
With: Crème de noyau, crème de cacao and cream.
We say: Light pink, sweet and creamy with subtle notes of chocolate, toasted almond and pomegranate.

Eye-opener
With: Gold rum, orange curaçao, crème de noyau, sugar syrup, absinthe and egg yolk
We say: Resembling watery orange custard, this cocktail is surprisingly silky and suited to after dinner.

Old Etonian
With: Dry gin, Lillet Blanc, crème de noyau and orange bitters.
We say: This Wet Martini-style cocktail is basically, a Fairbanks No.2 but with Lillet in place of dry vermouth.

Fairbanks No.2
With: Dry gin, dry vermouth, crème de noyeau and orange bitters.
We say: Original Savoy and Vermeire recipes for this cocktail specify 2 dashes of crème de noyeaux. We’ve interpreted this as being a generous 5ml / 1/6oz measure to add a delicate pink hue and a fruity almond note to this Dry Martini-style cocktail.

Lily
With: Dry gin, crème de noyeau, Lillet Blanc and lemon juice.
We say: Pinky red, gin laced delicate red fruit and almond nuttiness with light white wine and lemon acidity.

Yes or Noyau?
With: Bourbon, straight rye whiskey, crème de noyau, and madeira.
We say: Bourbon and rye delicately sweetened and delicately flavoured with fruity almond notes with madeira adding light balancing acidity.