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Cocktail History
The Abbey is a gin cocktail that was created by Harry Craddock and included in his 1930 recipe book, The Savoy Cocktail Book. The original recipe called for gin, orange juice, orange bitters, and Kina Lillet, but the latter was discontinued in the 1980s, bartenders now substitute it for Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano instead.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is the base spirit. We chose Ford’s Gin for its classic botanical flavor with notes of coriander, grapefruit, jasmine, lemon, angelica, and cassia.
Cocchi Americano: This is a quinine-flavored aperitif wine that adds slightly bitter citrus, honey, and spice flavors.
Orange Juice: This adds sweet orange flavor. We prefer to use fresh orange juice instead of the bottled stuff because it’s less bitter and tastes better.
Orange Bitters: This adds a bit of the citrus’s sweet flavor and spice for more complexity. We used Scrappy’s Bitters Orange Bitters because they offer the classic taste of bitter oranges, herbs, and spices.
Tasting Notes
The Abbey features citrus aromas and a hint of bitterness that balanced the botanicals of the gin out very well.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Although simple and drier than expected, we both enjoyed this drink and thought it would be a good alternative to the classic mimosa on its own or topped with a bit of sparkling wine.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions by Lou Bustamante.
AuthorThe Official Downton Abbey Cocktail BookPrep Time5 minsAdd gin, Cocchi Americano, orange juice, orange bitters, and ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, Cocchi Americano, orange juice, orange bitters, and ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Tools & Glassware We Recommend
More Brunch Cocktails
If you like this brunch cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
• Garibaldi: A low-proof cocktail made with orange juice, Campari, and an orange slice
• Mocha Rum Toddy: A rum cocktail made with coffee, dark crème de cacao, simple syrup, whipped cream, and cocoa powder
• Wisconsin Bloody Mary: A bacon vodka cocktail made with Worcestershire sauce, Bloody Mary mix, a celery stick, a meat stick, a cheddar cheese curd, a pickle spear, a green olive, and Tajín
• Bicicletta: A white wine cocktail made with Campari, soda water, and a lemon wheel
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