Simon Difford

Long time listener, first time commenter. It's not often I come across a *perfect* cocktail, but here we've done it. Using heavy cream as the float was key, and I subbed out the Nutmeg for my "mixed spice", a Christmassy British blend of spices, which includes nutmeg.

Thank you!

Welcome to our community, Joshua.

Hi Simon, just noticed that since the (very cool) site restyling some photos have gone awry. As this was a previous comp entry I can't edit it anymore, but now the main photo is of my old fingers pinching some coriander rather than the drink itself 🙄

Hi Gareth. I've unlocked this cocktail so you should now be able to change the default image to the one you want to show at the top of the page.

Well, the recipe seems very strange to me. It lists 1 1/2 ounces of sparkling wine twice. Is that really how it's done?

As the "How to make says", TOP with the rest of the sparkling wine.

I agree re bourbon, and I have amended the recipe above accordingly. I've also added to the history, but I think the Dandy first appeared in 'The Savoy Cocktail Book'.

For the record, my previous recipe:
45 ml Rye whiskey
45 ml Dubonnet, Byrrh etc. rouge light quinquina
5 ml Triple sec liqueur
1 dash Aromatic bitters

I went with 3:2 proportions using Crown Royal and 'Merican Dubonnet (Kentucky's finest, the 2018 new-and-improved version, because I can't find the French stuff, but it's still better than Byrrh). This was plenty of Dubonnet; we both enjoyed it. My copy of Craddock calls for "Rye or Canadian Whisky," which is very different from specifying "Canadian Club Whisky." Many Canadian whiskies, including Crown Royal (which is made in Manitoba, after all), contain some amount of rye, and maybe in Craddock's era he was used to having more rye-heavy Canadians, so the choice of bourbon seems a significant deviation from Craddock's recipe. Does anyone know if the Dandy originated in Canada, before it appeared in Craddock's book?

I agree re bourbon, and I have amended the recipe above accordingly. I've also added to the history, but I think the Dandy first appeared in 'The Savoy Cocktail Book'.

I amended this recipe 26/Sep/26. Previous recipe:
60 ml Vodka
15 ml Dry vermouth
15 ml Sake
5 ml Pisco

Dear Simon, your [Manzanita] is excellent (I've drunk it, and thoroughly enjoyed it, 8x since discovering it a year ago). Can I ask what specific apple/ cider eau-de-vie you used? (It's near-perfect as I make it, with Magloire VSOP calvados, Belle de Brillet, Lustau manzanilla, Monin orgeat. Could it be better/ 'perfect'?)
The equinox has just passed, and no doubt I'll be drinking a few more in the autumnal days/ weeks to come.

Thanks, Mike. I use Somerset Apple Eau de Vie:
https://www.diffordsguide.com/beer-wine-spirits/989/somerset-apple-eau-de-vie

6 drops of bitters has to make quite an impact on the drink. Any suggestions for a substitute if Bob's Ginseng bitters aren't available?

Hi Lisa. The Ginseng Bitters have an earthy citrus note so if not available, perhaps use a lemon bitters.

In many state of the USA, 9?25 is Dolly Parton Day for her humanitarian work.

Thanks, John. A worthy day, so I've added Dolly Day above.

Hi Simon. The Dubonnet(US) page is showing the same Difford's Guide 4* Recommended badge as the Dubonnet(France) page.
Given your comment from 6 years back ("the US version is a poor rendition on the French-made original"), this may be an error?

I've just dropped the US version to 3.5. (I think I dropped the score on the French version in protest of the removal of the cat from the label.)

Simon! I’m honored to see that YOU have replied!

Have you ever tasted this so-called Dubonnet? It’s truly shocking.

Yes, I reviewed it here:
https://www.diffordsguide.com/beer-wine-spirits/3502/dubonnet-rouge-us-made

Simon - was this created in 2006 or 2026? History section cites both years...

2026. Thanks for spotting, James.

I think there is an error in the weight measurements. 75 mL water should be 75 g, approximately. The weight says 687 with no units and I think it was supposed to be 68 g. Thank you for the thorough recipes with easy scaling info!

Thanks, David. I’ve added “g” to show the final weight: 687 grams. This is correct, as the weight increases as you add each ingredient, so 612 grams + 75 grams of water = 687 grams.

Cheers! Nice tiki shop! 🗿 🌺

By the way, what's the difference between Havana 3 and 'Light white rum (charcoal-filtered 1-4 years old)'?

I always thought Havana 3 was exactly that 🤔

Havana 3 is not charcoal filtered and is more characterful. Like comparing Bacardi Carta Blanca to Bacardi Oro or another ‘gold’ rum.

The link to Holland House is currently broken.

Thanks for bringing to my attention, Cassandra. Link now fixed.