Opal
A citrus and sour gin cocktail ∙ Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 16.9% ABV ∙
The Opal is a gin sour made with orange juice, triple sec, and a touch of orange blossom water, shaken and served up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 50 mlTriple sec 15 mlOrange juice 40 mlSugar syrup 10 mlOrange blossom water 2 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Measure the 2 ml of orange blossom water exactly; a little more and the drink tastes soapy instead of floral.
History
The Opal is a gin cocktail dating to the early twentieth century. Its earliest documented appearance is in Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book, published in 1930 during his tenure as head bartender at the American Bar of the Savoy Hotel in London. The recipe there calls for gin, orange juice, Cointreau-style orange liqueur, a little sugar, and orange flower water shaken together.
The drink belongs to a broader family of orange-and-gin sours popular in that era, sitting alongside the similarly built Orange Blossom, though the Opal is distinguished by its addition of orange flower water for a floral perfume note. Beyond its inclusion in Craddock's book, the cocktail's earlier history is not documented, and it has persisted mainly as a Savoy-era recipe reproduced in later cocktail guides.
FAQ
What is an Opal cocktail?
A shaken gin sour of orange juice, triple sec, sugar syrup, and a touch of orange blossom water, served up in a chilled coupe with an expressed orange twist.
How do you make an Opal cocktail?
Shake 50 ml gin, 15 ml triple sec, 40 ml fresh orange juice, 10 ml sugar syrup, and 2 ml orange blossom water hard with ice. Measure the orange blossom water exactly; any more and the drink tastes soapy. Fine-strain into a chilled coupe and express an orange twist over the top.
What does an Opal cocktail taste like?
Orange first, from the fresh juice and triple sec, with a floral, perfumed note from the orange blossom water over clean gin. At about 16.9% ABV it drinks light rather than boozy.
