Dot cocktail in a coupe glass with an orange twist

Dot (1937 recipe)

Name: Dot (1937 recipe)
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: London dry gin — 30 ml (1 oz); Fino sherry — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Apricot brandy liqueur — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Orange curaçao liqueur — 10 ml (1/3 oz)

Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 30.1% ABV ∙

The Dot is a stirred spirit-forward cocktail of gin, Fino sherry, apricot brandy liqueur, and orange curaçao, finished with an orange twist. Dry and nutty from the sherry up front, with soft apricot sweetness and a bright orange edge settling into a warm, gin-backed finish — a good pre-dinner sip.

Ingredients

Servings

Garnish

Orange twist

Instructions for 1 serving

Pre-chill a glass
Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 30 mlFino sherry 15 mlApricot brandy liqueur 15 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 10 ml
Fine strain into the chilled glass
Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish

Tips

Stir over solid ice for about 20-25 seconds only - gin, fino sherry and two liqueurs make a delicate mix, and over-dilution flattens the sherry's saline edge.
Chill the fino sherry itself beforehand since it's the most delicate component and warm sherry will taste flat once stirred against the gin and liqueurs.
Measure the orange curaçao and apricot brandy liqueur separately even though both are sweet-orange-leaning; they contribute different weights and swapping ratios muddies the balance.
Express the orange twist over the finished coupe and rub it around the rim before dropping it in, reinforcing the citrus notes already carried by the curaçao.

History

The Dot is credited to a bartender named G. Matthews and was first published in William J. Tarling's Café Royal Cocktail Book of 1937, a recipe collection compiled by Tarling, then head bartender at London's Café Royal, and issued by the United Kingdom Bartenders' Guild. The original recipe combined dry gin, dry sherry, white curaçao, and apricot syrup, shaken rather than stirred. The book gathered original recipes from Guild members and contemporary London bartenders of the interwar period, and the Dot survives today mainly through that single period source rather than through wider independent documentation.

FAQ

What is in a Dot cocktail?

Gin, Fino sherry, apricot brandy liqueur, and orange curaçao, stirred and strained into a chilled glass. Gin leads the build, with the sherry adding a dry, nutty backbone and the apricot brandy and curaçao layering in fruit and orange.

Is a Dot cocktail shaken or stirred?

Stirred. All the components are clear spirits and liqueurs, so stirring chills and dilutes the drink without clouding it, keeping it clear in the glass.

What glass is a Dot cocktail served in?

A coupe glass, served up with an orange twist and no ice in the glass.

What was a popular cocktail in the 1940s?

Gin- and whiskey-based cocktails dominated the 1940s, including Martinis, Manhattans, and Old Fashioneds, alongside sherry- and liqueur-forward stirred drinks in the same style as the Dot. Rationing during World War II also pushed bartenders toward fortified wines like sherry, which stretched scarce spirits further.

Is a Dot cocktail strong?

It is moderately strong at about 30% ABV, similar to many stirred, spirit-forward classics of its era. The Fino sherry and liqueurs soften the gin's edge without diluting the drink's overall strength.