East India Cocktail
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 22.3% ABV ∙
The East India Cocktail is a shaken cognac drink with orange curaçao, pineapple juice and syrup, and optional aromatic bitters, served up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Cognac 50 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 10 mlPineapple juice 10 mlPineapple syrup 5 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 2 dashes (opt.)
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a pineapple wedge on the rim
Tips
- Shake hard for 12-15 seconds. With so little juice and syrup against 50 ml of Cognac, the shake does the work of chilling the drink and giving it some air.
- The curaçao and pineapple syrup are only 10 ml and 5 ml, so measure them exactly; a little extra makes the drink too sweet.
History
The East India Cocktail traces to Harry Johnson's New and Improved Bartender's Manual, where it first appeared in print in 1882, made with Cognac, curaçao, maraschino, bitters, and raspberry syrup. Johnson himself changed the recipe in his 1888 edition, swapping the raspberry syrup for pineapple syrup. He noted that the drink was a favorite among English expatriates living in various parts of East India, which is the source of its name rather than any connection to the East India Company or its trading routes.
The raspberry-syrup version persisted in some later books, including Thomas Stuart's 1904 Stuart's Fancy Drinks and How to Mix Them, while the pineapple-syrup rendition was carried forward by Robert Vermeire's 1922 Cocktails: How to Mix Them and Frank Meier's 1936 The Artistry of Mixing Drinks. Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book instead called for pineapple juice in place of the syrup, a change repeated in other cocktail books that followed, including William "Billy" Tarling's 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book. Tom Bullock's 1917 The Ideal Bartender printed a version with no pineapple element at all.
FAQ
What is in an East India Cocktail?
50 ml Cognac, 10 ml orange curaçao, 10 ml pineapple juice and 5 ml pineapple syrup, with two optional dashes of Angostura bitters. The Cognac leads; the curaçao and pineapple add fruit and sweetness.
Is an East India Cocktail shaken or stirred?
Shaken, hard, for 12-15 seconds. There is very little juice and syrup next to 50 ml of Cognac, so the shake itself has to chill and aerate the drink.
What glass is an East India Cocktail served in?
A coupe glass, served up and garnished with a pineapple wedge.
What does an East India Cocktail taste like?
Rich and fruity rather than sharp. The Cognac gives weight and warmth, pineapple and curaçao a sweet, tropical note, and the bitters, if you use them, a dry, spiced finish. At close to 22% ABV it is stronger than a typical sour, closer to a Sidecar with pineapple in place of lemon.
Is an East India Cocktail vegan?
Yes. It is vegan, vegetarian and lactose-free: Cognac, curaçao, pineapple juice and syrup, and aromatic bitters, with no dairy or animal-derived ingredients.
