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Japanese Cocktail

Japanese Cocktail

Classic

Cognac, orgeat, and bitters. A Jerry Thomas original from 1862.

NuttyClassicElegant
3 minEasyStrong

Silky, nutty, and warming. Cognac's dried fruit and oak sit against the marzipan sweetness of orgeat, and aromatic bitters add spice and structure. Soft and aromatic rather than sharp.

Ingredients

  • 2 oz Cognac
  • 0.5 oz Orgeat
  • 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
  • Lemon twist · optional garnish

Method

  1. 1

    Add the cognac, orgeat, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice.

  2. 2

    Stir until well chilled.

  3. 3

    Strain into a chilled coupe.

  4. 4

    Express a lemon peel over the top and drop it in.

The Story

The Japanese Cocktail appears in Jerry Thomas's 1862 bartending guide, one of the very first printed cocktail books, and is often said to commemorate a Japanese diplomatic delegation's visit to New York in 1860. It is almost nothing but cognac, almond syrup, and bitters, which makes it a pure study in how little a great drink needs.

Glass · Coupe glassGarnish · Lemon twist