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RAC Cocktail
A one-to-one Perfect Martini with extra grenadine sweetness and orange bitters adding complexity
Dave Smith
26th April at 00:23
Used Harry Craddock’s recipe as I didn’t have any Grenadine either. A fine cocktail although I’d watch how many to enjoy before motoring out with the RAC:).
25th April at 14:35
I think 4 stars is about right. Very pleasant and nice balance of lightness with depth of flavour. A splash of orange juice and shake could be an attractive variant here, leaning it towards a Satan’s whiskers (one of my favourites). I used fords gin; Tanq 10 or similar could potentially bump it up a notch.
21st April at 09:14
The history is incomplete. The R.A.C. Cocktail was in Robert Vermeire's 1922 "Cocktails: How to Mix Them" on page. 42. This explains why it is also in the 1924 Japanese work "Kokuteeru" by Yonekichi Maeda. This latter work was republished as an English translation in 2022, and the R.A.C. recipe is on page 79.
21st April at 11:04
Many thanks for the heads-up, Shawn. I've updated the history as best as I'm able until I get my hands on a translated copy of Kokuteeru. Please bear with me.
20th November 2025 at 01:41
I am quite the fan of the Perfect Martini (or most drinks that mix equal parts dry and sweet vermouth) and that little splash of grenadine makes this just a little bit extra fine for me. Great company cocktail.
20th November 2025 at 02:55
Saw your comment on the log in page and thought I'd give it a try. Glad I did thanks. Tasted it before adding the zest and what a difference the orange zest made.
15th March 2025 at 21:42
Definitely dry "Martini" notes with slight sweetness that finishes with the orange bitters. Very nice cocktail. Will add to rotation.
9th December 2024 at 00:26
Lovely cocktail and as suggested by John Hinojos, an excellent before dinner drink. I would add that if using grenadine rather than pomegranate syrup, the choice of grenadine is critical. By that I mean, this drink benefits from (requires?) home made grenadine!
27th November 2022 at 01:43
Very delightful and much more complex in flavour than I was expecting. Not overly sweet and perfect for before dinner. Will definitely have this one again.
10th June 2022 at 23:38
Unusually complex with lots of layers of taste. Not too sweet. It doesn't taste like but I think this a bit of a smiling assassin.
30th January 2021 at 12:17
My old cocktail book suggests you can substitute dry orange curacao for orange bitters
16th January 2021 at 12:29
I’ve replaced the grenadine with a violet syrup, is more discret and better to taste ?
25th November 2020 at 21:53
This is a deceptively light and crisp drink. The touch of sweetness from the grenadine really balances it out.
25th November 2020 at 01:34
Very nice, not too sweet with a good complexity. We enjoyed it more than the Pall Mall cocktail we had last night, which was similar but a bit too sweet. It’s also an opportunity to use cherries as a garnish, which is a positive for both of us ?.