Japanese Cocktail
Not Japanese, all almond
One of the oldest cocktails on record: cognac sweetened with almond-rich orgeat and balanced by a couple dashes of bitters. Silky, nutty, and spirit-forward — proof that 1862 knew what it was doing.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Cognac
- 1/2 oz Orgeat
- 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Method
Add cognac, orgeat, and bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Attributed to Jerry Thomas, created in June 1860 to commemorate the first Japanese diplomatic mission to the USA (delegates stayed at the Metropolitan Hotel, one block from Thomas's bar at 622 Broadway). First published in Thomas's 1862 Bar-Tender's Guide. Per Difford's Guide #1055. Attribution widely accepted among cocktail historians including David Wondrich (Imbibe!); the commemorative naming is based on historical deduction rather than contemporary documentation.
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