Alaska (1914 recipe)
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 34.6% ABV ∙
The Alaska (1914 recipe) is a stirred cocktail of Old Tom gin and yellow Chartreuse with a dash of orange bitters, served up in a coupe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Old Tom gin 45 mlHerbal liqueur (e.g., Yellow Chartreuse) 20 mlOrange bitters 1 dash
- Strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stir with large cubes for 20-25 seconds, until the mixing glass feels ice-cold. The drink takes on water fast and turns thin if you keep going.
- Keep the Yellow Chartreuse to 20 ml; it takes over easily, and a heavy pour pushes the drink sweet and herbal.
History
The Alaska is a gin and yellow Chartreuse cocktail that first appeared in print in 1913, originally built with Old Tom gin, yellow Chartreuse, and a dash of orange bitters. A near-identical recipe was recorded the following year in Jacques Straub's 1914 book Drinks, and it is this early Old Tom gin version, sometimes labeled Straub's 1914 recipe, that this build follows.
By 1930, when Harry Craddock published his own version in The Savoy Cocktail Book, the orange bitters had been dropped and the base spirit switched to London dry gin, which became the more commonly cited formula. Craddock himself only offered that the drink was probably conceived in South Carolina, while other writers have speculated, without firm evidence, that its golden hue nodded to Alaska's gold rush era.
FAQ
What is in an Alaska cocktail?
45 ml Old Tom gin, 20 ml yellow Chartreuse and a dash of orange bitters, with an orange twist. The gin leads; the Chartreuse adds herbs and sweetness.
Is an Alaska cocktail shaken or stirred?
Stirred. It is all spirit, with no citrus or egg, so stirring chills and dilutes it while keeping the drink clear and silky.
What glass is an Alaska cocktail served in?
A coupe glass, served up with an orange twist. No ice goes into the glass since the drink is strained after stirring.
Can I use regular gin instead of Old Tom gin?
Yes, but it will taste drier and sharper. Old Tom gin's slight sweetness is what tempers the yellow Chartreuse here.
How strong is an Alaska cocktail?
Strong: roughly 34.6% ABV, closer to a Martini than to a sour, because there is no juice to lengthen it.
