La Bicyclette
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 33.6% ABV ∙
La Bicyclette is a stirred cocktail of London dry gin, rosso vermouth and elderflower liqueur with a dash of peach bitters, served up in a coupe. Juniper leads with a dry backbone, elderflower lifting the finish into something floral and faintly stone-fruit sweet, cut by a lemon-oil snap.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 60 mlRosso vermouth 15 mlElderflower liqueur 10 mlPeach bitters 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stir for around 30 seconds over ice — the gin-heavy build needs the dilution to soften without losing its edge.
- Pre-chill the coupe before straining; a room-temperature glass warms this small-volume pour fast.
- Add the peach bitters as dashes only — a heavier pour will overwhelm the elderflower liqueur's floral note.
- Express the lemon twist directly over the drink so the citrus oils sit on the surface, then use it as garnish.
History
La Bicyclette in this form — gin, sweet vermouth, elderflower liqueur, and peach bitters, stirred and strained into a coupe — was created in 2008 by Canadian bartender Jamie Boudreau, then of Vessel and later Canon in Seattle. The drink dates from the period shortly after St-Germain elderflower liqueur reached American bars, when bartenders were experimenting with how to fold its floral sweetness into classic spirit-forward templates; Boudreau built La Bicyclette as a variation on a sweet martini-style formula, using the liqueur alongside peach bitters rather than as the drink's main flavor.
The name is unrelated to the older French aperitif also called Bicyclette (or Bicicletta), a simple mix of Campari and white wine that dates to Italy and predates Boudreau's cocktail; the two drinks share a name and little else, and are frequently confused in recipe collections despite having different bases and origins.
FAQ
What is a Bicyclette cocktail?
La Bicyclette is a stirred, gin-based cocktail finished with a lemon twist, sitting closer to a Martini variation than a long or fizzy serve. It is fine-strained into a chilled coupe glass and comes in at about 33.6% ABV, making it a strong, spirit-forward drink.
Is La Bicyclette the same as a Bicicletta?
No — despite the similar name they are unrelated drinks. La Bicyclette is a stirred, spirit-forward gin cocktail with Rosso vermouth, elderflower liqueur, and peach bitters, served up in a coupe. The Bicicletta is a lighter Italian highball of Campari, dry white wine, and soda water, poured long over ice.
