Embassy
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 27.6% ABV ∙
The Embassy is a spirit-forward shaken cocktail splitting equal parts cognac, Jamaican aged rum, and triple sec with fresh lime, served up in a coupe. Layered and rich, brandy's grape warmth meets the rum's dark molasses depth, with orange liqueur and bright lime pulling it back to a crisp, citrus-edged finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Cognac 25 mlJamaican aged rum 25 mlTriple sec 25 mlLime juice 15 mlSaline solution 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Shake the three spirits with the lime and saline hard for 12-15 seconds with plenty of ice — this equal-parts build is otherwise too boozy and flat.
- Measure the cognac, rum, and triple sec precisely at equal 25 ml parts; even small overpours of one spirit will mute the balance between the two base liquors.
- Add just one dash of saline solution before shaking to sharpen the citrus and spirit flavors without making the drink taste salty.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe to remove ice shards, then express an orange twist over the surface before dropping it in for aromatic oils.
History
The Embassy is a Prohibition-era cocktail traced to the Embassy Club, an exclusive Hollywood speakeasy opened around 1928 by restaurateur Adolph "Eddie" Brandstatter, who had already made his name running the nearby Café Montmartre for the film colony. The club catered to movie stars seeking privacy from fans, and its bar is credited with a number of drinks that carried its name into the era's cocktail books. The earliest known printed recipe for the Embassy appears in Buzza-Cardozo's 1933 book Hollywood Cocktails, built from equal parts brandy, orange liqueur, Jamaican rum, and lime juice, a formula that has changed little since. Some later recipe writers substitute a lighter, unaged white rum for the Jamaican rum called for in the original.
