Calvados Cocktail
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 19.2% ABV ∙
The Calvados Cocktail is a shaken sour of apple brandy, triple sec, fresh orange juice, and orange bitters, served up in a coupe. Apple brandy sets a warm, orchard-fruit base that orange juice brightens and triple sec sweetens, finishing dry and aromatic from the bitters.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Calvados 45 mlTriple sec 15 mlOrange juice 45 mlOrange bitters 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Shake all four ingredients hard for a full 12-15 seconds with cubed ice to properly dilute and chill, since juice-based shakes need vigorous agitation to avoid a thin, weak result.
- Strain into a chilled coupe through a fine mesh strainer to catch pulp from the fresh orange juice, keeping the surface clean for the orange twist garnish.
- Use freshly squeezed orange juice strained of pulp rather than store-bought, since the drink's balance relies on bright, unsweetened acidity against the Calvados and triple sec.
- Express the orange twist's oils over the drink's surface before resting it on the rim, reinforcing the citrus aroma that echoes the juice and triple sec.
History
The Calvados Cocktail first appears in print in Harry Craddock's 1930 work The Savoy Cocktail Book, compiled during his tenure as head bartender at London's Savoy Hotel. The original recipe called for equal parts Calvados, orange juice, and orange curaçao, along with a notably heavy measure of orange bitters. Craddock assembled the book from recipes gathered over his career, and the drink reflects the era's fondness for pairing French apple brandy with citrus, a pattern that grew popular in London bars during the 1920s as Calvados found its way into cocktail culture outside Normandy.
FAQ
What mixes with Calvados?
Orange is the classic partner for Calvados, and this cocktail builds on that pairing with triple sec, fresh orange juice, and a couple of dashes of orange bitters. The apple brandy also works well with warming spice, lemon, and other brandies, but the orange combination is what defines this particular drink.
What is the best way to drink Calvados?
Calvados is traditionally sipped neat as a digestif, but it also mixes well in cocktails such as this one, where it is shaken with triple sec, orange juice, and orange bitters and served up in a coupe. Shaking it with citrus softens the brandy's heat and makes it approachable outside the after-dinner pour.
What is in a Calvados Cocktail?
Calvados, triple sec, and fresh orange juice, shaken with a couple of dashes of orange bitters and strained into a coupe. The bitters are optional but add an aromatic, dry edge that rounds out the orange and apple brandy.
Is a Calvados Cocktail shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The orange juice needs the aeration and quick chill of a shake to blend properly with the brandy; stirring would leave it flat and poorly integrated.
What glass is a Calvados Cocktail served in?
A coupe glass, served up and finished with an orange twist. It is fine-strained, so no ice reaches the glass.
