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Angel Face
Rich apricot and apple with a backbone of botanical gin. Balanced rather than dry or sweet. This cocktail looks better when stirred, but Harry Craddock's...
Jeff Newcastle
9th May at 18:21
Made as instructed but stirred for longer rather than adding a splash of water. Didn’t think I was going to enjoy it but this one is great. Definitely one for my rotation.
14th February at 17:34
Lovely sipper. Though agree with the comments about sweetness depending on your brand of apricot brandy. We used Briottet which I would say is on the sweeter side so you could lessen the quantity a little.
13th February at 19:54
Instead of the de Kuyper Apricot brandy liqueur I used equal measures of de Kuyper Sour Apple, Hallunke Apricot brandy (bought years ago in Halle)and Merlot Lune d'Abricot. It was delicious. Bright, Fruity and a perfect balance of sweet & dry.
14th January at 17:26
The dry-sweet balance in this one is crucial. I believe it really depends on the type of apricot liqueur you use 🍑
19th September 2025 at 23:17
This is an excellent and refreshing summertime cocktail. As one who prefers drier cocktail options, I have leaned into making this now with dry apricot eau-de-vie instead of an apricot liqueur. While Harry Craddock didn't really specify whether he meant eau-de-vie or liqueur when he gave his recipe for this cocktail, I tend to believe that "apricot brandy" at this time would have meant eau-de-vie. Nevertheless, both versions are great!
5th April 2025 at 02:58
Just revisited and still excellent. Added lots of lemon peel and a long.... stir. Tanqueray export strength, Rothman & Winter Apricot, and a decent fruity V.S. Calvados rang all the right bells! ♡♡♡♡♡
20th January 2025 at 18:28
Hi Simon, the how-to-make instructions should link to the 'Regal Shake (and Regal Stir)' page.
21st January 2025 at 09:49
Thanks, Mike. I've asked our IT team to add this link.
20th January 2025 at 16:00
I tried the IBA récipé and was disappointed. The apple scent and taste of Calvados did not ally well with the apricot and the bitterness of gin.
2nd November 2024 at 23:44
I prefer this one with ½ measure of Crème de Abricot and two dashes of orange bitters and a lemon twist. Sublime.
1st November 2024 at 18:27
Fruity.
30th May 2024 at 13:13
The dilution is definitely essential to avoid this becoming overly sweet. The apricot still dominated a little for my taste, and on the sweet side. Perhaps shaking will fix this? Noted Conor’s comments re dropping the apricot and upping the apple slightly…. Next time!
7th March 2024 at 13:43
Cocktail really depends on the apple brandy - mine has a very cidery flavor, so I went down to 3/4 and it balanced better with 1 oz dry gin and 1 oz apricot liqueur
24th July 2023 at 20:05
Lovely cocktail, one of those favourites I don’t have so often, because, as you say, it might need adjustments depending on the ingredients at hand. My favourite way to do this is 100% “à la française” with Giffard’s Abricot de Roussilon, a very smooth but little oaked Ch. de Breuil calva, and Citadelle dry gin. I sometimes add a splash of Pernod absinthe if I am in the mood for something slightly more on the dry side.
27th June 2023 at 22:56
Very gentle, and very elegant. So simple, but satisfying with just the right balance of sweet (Apricot) and pungent (Dry Gin). Added to favourites.
14th January 2023 at 21:56
I absolutely love how this cocktail takes equal parts of three seemingly incongruous partners and joins them to make one balanced and harmonious drink. Sad to see it out of the Cocktail Hall of Fame, but it will still have its glory at my little bar!
14th January 2023 at 07:49
I enjoyed this drink, but I'm curious to try it with perhaps a splash of Benedictine. I got hints of a honey-esque sweetness, so maybe pulling back the apricot brandy and adding even 5ml of Benedictine could work.
1st November 2022 at 21:36
I tried this with a 46.3% Finnish Kyrö rye gin. Boy does it become boozy at that point. Maybe something to try for those who find this with ‘normal’ gin too sweet!
18th October 2022 at 23:31
Nicely balanced with apricot and apple fairly prevalent. Not overly sweet when using chilled water.
2nd August 2022 at 16:10
It was a little bit too sweet for my liking. So I dropped the Apricot brandy by .25oz and upped the Calvados by the same amount. Suited my palate much more.
20th March 2022 at 15:14
This was another one on my wishlist to use some rarely used apricot brandy and it was very nice , I am wondering however if I could have added a dash of some bitters, maybe next time
28th November 2021 at 01:00
What a great cocktail. Smooth and well balanced. The gin and calvados help to balance the sweetness of the Apricot. All three flavours can be detected. Might try the suggestion of using some cold packaged apple juice next time, but an organice one that is not too sweet.