Charlie Chaplin
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 11.5% ABV ∙
The Charlie Chaplin is a shaken sour of equal parts apricot brandy liqueur, sloe gin, and fresh lime juice, served up in a coupe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Apricot brandy liqueur 25 mlSloe gin 25 mlLime juice 25 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with an apricot wedge on the rim
Tips
- Shake the three 25 ml measures hard with plenty of ice for 12-15 seconds. The apricot liqueur matches the sloe gin pour for pour, and without that water the drink turns syrupy.
- Squeeze the lime to order; only its sharpness keeps two equal pours of sweet liqueur in check.
History
The Charlie Chaplin cocktail is generally said to have been created at the Old Waldorf Bar in New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel sometime before 1920, in the years just prior to Prohibition, and named in honor of the silent-film comedian Charlie Chaplin at the height of his early fame. It was set down in print by Albert Stevens Crockett, a bar chronicler who worked the drink into his Waldorf-Astoria cocktail books of the early 1930s, cementing the recipe for later generations. It is not documented whether Chaplin himself ever drank the cocktail bearing his name.
FAQ
What's in a Charlie Chaplin cocktail?
Equal parts apricot brandy liqueur, sloe gin and fresh lime juice, 25 ml each.
Why is it called a Charlie Chaplin cocktail?
It is named after the silent-film actor and comedian Charlie Chaplin, following an old bartending habit of naming drinks after celebrities of the day rather than describing their ingredients.
Is a Charlie Chaplin shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The lime juice needs a hard shake with ice to chill, dilute, and blend with the two liqueurs.
What glass is a Charlie Chaplin served in?
A coupe glass, served up with no ice, garnished with an apricot wedge.
