Commodore No. 2
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.6% ABV ∙
The Commodore No. 2 is an equal-parts bourbon sour built with white crème de cacao, fresh lemon, and a touch of grenadine, shaken and served up. Cocoa softens the bourbon's bite, lemon cuts sharp through the middle, and a faint grenadine sweetness lingers under a short, warming finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Bourbon 25 mlWhite Crème de Cacao 25 mlLemon juice 25 mlGrenadine syrup 5 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass filled with crushed ice
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Shake hard with full-size ice cubes for a full 15 seconds; the crème de cacao and lemon juice need vigorous agitation to fully emulsify and chill without over-diluting.
- Measure the grenadine carefully since it's only a small accent amount; too heavy a pour will oversweeten and throw off the balance against the lemon juice.
- Fine-strain into the chilled coupe to remove any ice shards, since the equal bourbon-cacao-lemon ratio leaves no room for excess water muddying the texture.
- Squeeze the lemon juice fresh just before shaking; bottled juice lacks the brightness needed to balance the crème de cacao's sweetness in this equal-parts build.
History
The Commodore is a pre-Prohibition-era American whiskey sour variation first documented in Albert Stevens Crockett's 1931 book Old Waldorf Bar Days, which recorded the drink lore of New York's original Waldorf-Astoria bar. Crockett recorded two versions side by side, both served frappé: a Commodore No. 1 made with rum, and a Commodore No. 2 built with bourbon and white crème de cacao in place of the rum. The name is generally linked to a "Commodore," a naval or yacht-club honorific, though sources differ on exactly who it honored, and the existence of two numbered versions suggests the name was applied loosely enough that more than one drink could claim it. The Commodore No. 2 later reappeared in the 1935 Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book, cementing bourbon and crème de cacao, sweetened with a touch of grenadine and soured with lemon juice, as its defining build.
FAQ
What is in a Commodore No. 2?
Bourbon, white crème de cacao, fresh lemon juice, and a small amount of grenadine syrup, shaken and strained into a chilled glass. The build uses roughly equal parts bourbon, cacao liqueur, and lemon, with the grenadine as a small sweetening accent, and it's finished with a maraschino cherry.
Is a Commodore No. 2 shaken or stirred?
Shaken. The lemon juice and crème de cacao need the vigorous aeration and quick chill of a shake to blend properly; stirring would leave the cacao liqueur separated and the drink under-diluted.
What glass is a Commodore No. 2 served in?
A coupe glass, served up with a maraschino cherry garnish and no ice in the glass.
Is a Commodore No. 2 vegan?
Yes, this recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and lactose-free, since it uses white crème de cacao rather than a cream-based liqueur.
How strong is a Commodore No. 2?
It comes in at about 15.6% ABV, making it noticeably lighter than a spirit-forward cocktail like an Old Fashioned. The lemon and crème de cacao dilute the bourbon's strength, so it drinks more like an easygoing sour than a stiff whiskey drink.
