Blood Orange Cocktail
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.3% ABV ∙
The Blood Orange Cocktail shakes gin with a red bitter, dry vermouth and blood orange juice, plus an optional touch of amaretto, served up in a coupe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 40 mlRed bitter 20 mlDry vermouth 20 mlBlood orange juice 40 mlAmaretto liqueur 5 ml (opt.)
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Give it a hard 12-15 seconds over cracked ice; the 40 ml of fresh blood orange juice needs that to aerate and dilute properly.
- If you use the optional amaretto, shake it with everything else and keep it to 5 ml; any more and it buries the red bitter and vermouth.
History
This cocktail was created in 2008 by American bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler while he was working at Bel Ami Lounge in Eugene, Oregon. Morgenthaler has said he first tasted a drink of the same name years earlier in San Francisco and, on returning home, tried to recreate it from memory; the result diverged so far from the original that he considered it his own creation. The gin, red bitter liqueur, dry vermouth and blood orange juice combination he devised became known simply as the Blood Orange, and later published versions of the recipe added an optional barspoon of amaretto liqueur.
FAQ
What is in a Blood Orange Cocktail?
London dry gin 40 ml, fresh blood orange juice 40 ml, and 20 ml each of a red bitter such as Campari and dry vermouth. An optional 5 ml of amaretto adds a faint almond note.
Is a Blood Orange Cocktail shaken or stirred?
Shaken, hard, for 12–15 seconds over cracked ice. With 40 ml of fresh blood orange juice, the drink needs a shake for air and dilution. Stirring would leave it flat and underchilled.
What glass is a Blood Orange Cocktail served in?
A coupe glass, served up and finished with an orange twist expressed over the drink.
What does a Blood Orange Cocktail taste like?
It tastes crisp, citrusy, and slightly bitter, with the blood orange adding a deeper, more aromatic orange note.
