Golden Cadillac
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 8.1% ABV ∙
The Golden Cadillac is a creamy, dessert-style cocktail of white crème de cacao, Galliano, orange juice, and cream, shaken and strained up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: White Crème de Cacao 30 mlGalliano L’Autentico liqueur 15 mlOrange juice 45 mlSingle cream/half-and-half 30 mlOrange bitters 2 dashes (opt.)
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with grated nutmeg
Tips
- Shake hard to whip the cream and orange juice together until smooth and light, then fine-strain into the chilled coupe.
- Grate the nutmeg fresh over the surface just before serving.
History
The Golden Cadillac was created in 1952 at Poor Red's, a bar and barbecue joint in El Dorado, California, in the Sierra Nevada foothills. As the story goes, a newly engaged couple driving to Lake Tahoe stopped in to celebrate and asked the bartender, most commonly named as Frank Cline, to invent a drink in honor of their engagement and their new gold-colored Cadillac parked outside. Some accounts instead give the bartender's name as Frank Klein.
After experimenting with several mixtures, he settled on a blend of Galliano, white crème de cacao, and cream, and the couple named the golden-hued result after their car. The drink became Poor Red's signature cocktail, and the bar went on to be recognized as one of the world's largest consumers of Galliano.
FAQ
What is in a Golden Cadillac?
White crème de cacao (30 ml), Galliano (15 ml), fresh orange juice (45 ml) and cream (30 ml), plus two dashes of orange bitters if you use them. Fresh nutmeg is grated on top.
What is the alcohol content of a Golden Cadillac?
About 8.1% ABV, so it is a light dessert drink. Cream and orange juice make up most of the glass and keep the crème de cacao and Galliano mild.
What is Galliano and what does it taste like?
An Italian herbal liqueur: sweet, with vanilla and anise up front and notes of citrus and warm spice. In a Golden Cadillac it adds a licorice note against the chocolate and cream.
How do you make a Golden Cadillac ice cream drink?
This recipe is not an ice-cream drink: it shakes cream with orange juice, crème de cacao, and Galliano and serves it up. Some bars blend in a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead for a thicker, dessert-style variation.
