Lyla Dejesus
The Honeymoon is a sour apple brandy cocktail that was first published in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 book Recipes for Mixed Drinks. It was a featured drink at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles during the 1920s. The cocktail combines apple brandy, orange liqueur, curacao, benedictine and lemon juice. The apple brandy is the foundation of this light, bright cocktail, and the benedictine adds an incredible amount of depth, changing the character of the drink without overwhelming the other ingredients.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cocktail | Sour Apple Brandy Cocktail |
| Ingredients | Lemon juice, Orange Curaçao, Bénédictine D.O.M., Apple Brandy, Lime juice |
| Recipe | Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice, shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass |
| Garnish | Lemon twist or Lemon peel |
| Brandy | French Apple Brandy (Calvados) or American Applejack |
| Complexity | Complex |
| Taste | Sweet and Savory |
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What You'll Learn
The Honeymoon cocktail's history
The Honeymoon cocktail is a pre-Prohibition sour apple brandy cocktail. It was first published in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 book "Recipes for Mixed Drinks" and was a featured drink at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles during the 1920s.
The cocktail is a simple combination of apple brandy, curacao, Benedictine, and lemon juice. Apple brandy is the foundation of this light, bright cocktail. It employs both Benedictine and orange liqueur, which might give the impression of the drink being very sweet. However, the Benedictine, being an aromatic and syrupy liqueur, blends particularly well with whisky and apple brandy, adding an incredible amount of depth and changing the character of the drink without overwhelming the other ingredients.
The recipe for the Honeymoon cocktail, as published in Harry Craddock's 1930 book "The Savoy Cocktail Book", is as follows:
> The Honeymoon combines curaçao and Benedictine. ... 1 part Curaçao & Benedictine, half & half 2 parts Lime Juice 8 parts Applejack Shake well with cracked ice.
The cocktail has been rediscovered in waves and has stood the test of time, remaining as elegant and delicious as it was at the time of its invention, almost a hundred years ago.
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Ingredients and recipe
The Honeymoon cocktail is a pre-prohibition cocktail that was first published in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 book "Recipes for Mixed Drinks". It is a sour apple brandy cocktail that combines apple brandy, curacao, benedictine, and lemon juice. Here is a detailed look at the ingredients and recipe:
Ingredients:
- Apple Brandy: This is the foundation of the cocktail. You can use a variety of apple brandies such as Calvados (a French apple brandy), Applejack (an American variety), or Laird's 100 Proof Bottled in Bond Apple Brandy. Apple brandy adds a strong apple flavour to the cocktail.
- Curaçao: This is an orange liqueur that adds a sweet and fruity note to the cocktail. You can use a drier variety of Curaçao for a less sweet cocktail. Blue Curaçao can also be used as a substitute.
- Benedictine: An aromatic herbal liqueur that blends well with apple brandy. It adds complexity and depth to the cocktail without overwhelming the other ingredients. Benedictine is syrupy and strong, contributing to the booziness of the drink.
- Lemon Juice: Provides a crisp, sour note to balance the sweetness of the other ingredients. Some bartenders may substitute lemon juice with orange juice for a less sour version.
Recipe:
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well until chilled. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass and garnish with a lemon twist or lemon peel. The Honeymoon cocktail should have a balanced blend of sweet and sour flavours with a strong apple note. You can adjust the ingredients to your taste, such as adding more lemon juice for a sour cocktail or using a sweeter apple brandy.
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Variations of the cocktail
The Honeymoon cocktail is a pre-prohibition era drink that combines apple brandy, orange curaçao, and benedictine. It was first published in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 book "Recipes for Mixed Drinks" and was a featured drink at the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles during the 1920s.
Choice of Apple Brandy
The choice of apple brandy can significantly impact the flavour of the cocktail. French Calvados, a type of apple brandy, is a popular choice and is known for its strong and bright apple flavour. It adds substantial complexity to the cocktail. A casked Calvados, aged for two years, will give the cocktail a lighter and fresher taste, emphasizing the "sweet apple" flavour. Alternatively, American Applejack is a homegrown classic that can be used as the base spirit. It has a slightly milder apple flavour compared to Calvados.
Use of Lime or Lemon Juice
Some recipes call for the use of lime juice instead of lemon juice. The choice of citrus can alter the overall taste of the cocktail, with lime adding a more tart and acidic profile, while lemon brings a slightly milder and sweeter citrus element.
Adjusting the Sour Balance
The Honeymoon cocktail is essentially an apple brandy sour, so finding the right balance between sweet and sour is crucial. Bartenders may need to adjust the amount of lemon or lime juice used, depending on the preference of the drinker, to achieve the perfect balance of sweet and sour notes.
Substituting Orange Juice
Some bartenders may find it more tactful to substitute lemon juice with orange juice to reduce the sourness of the cocktail. This substitution can result in a sweeter and less acidic drink, creating a more approachable flavour profile for those who prefer their cocktails on the sweeter side.
Adding Bitters or Orange Rind
To enhance the complexity of the cocktail, some bartenders choose to add bitters or orange rind. This addition provides a more pronounced orange undertone, complementing the other ingredients without overwhelming them.
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The cocktail's flavour profile
The Honeymoon cocktail is a complex mix of flavours, with a foundation of apple brandy creating a light, bright base. The cocktail is essentially a sour apple brandy cocktail, with the apple flavour coming through strongly, especially if a French Calvados is used. The apple brandy is combined with the herbal liqueur Benedictine, which adds depth and an incredible amount of complexity to the cocktail without being overwhelming. The Benedictine is syrupy, strong, and spicy, with fruity notes that complement the apple. The drink is then given a crisp edge with the addition of lemon or lime juice, which cuts through the sweetness of the liqueurs.
The final element is the curaçao, which can be dry or blue, and is an orange liqueur. This adds a further fruity element to the cocktail, with a particular emphasis on the orange notes. The curaçao is less overpowering than the Benedictine, and the two liqueurs work together to create a balanced, harmonious, and boozy cocktail. The curaçao and lemon juice also help to create a sour flavour profile, which is enhanced by the apple brandy.
The cocktail is a good example of a pre-prohibition cocktail, where brandy was a go-to spirit. The Honeymoon cocktail is an elegant, old-timey drink, with a long history, first appearing in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 cocktail book, "Recipes for Mixed Drinks". It is a simple combination of ingredients, but the result is a revelation, with a fantastic dessert-like flavour profile.
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How to serve the cocktail
The Honeymoon cocktail is a pre-prohibition era drink that combines apple brandy, orange curaçao, benedictine, and lemon juice. The cocktail has been described as having the perfect amount of sweet and savoury flavours.
To serve the cocktail, you will need to gather your ingredients and tools. For a single serving of the cocktail, you will need:
- 3 dashes of orange curaçao
- 1/2 part of benedictine
- 1/2 part of apple brandy
- 1/2 part of lemon juice
You will also need:
- A cocktail shaker
- Ice cubes
- A cocktail glass
- Lemon peel, for garnish (optional)
Once you have gathered your ingredients and tools, you can begin preparing the cocktail. First, add the ice cubes to your cocktail shaker. Then, pour in the curaçao, benedictine, apple brandy, and lemon juice. Shake the cocktail shaker vigorously until the drink is chilled. Finally, strain the cocktail into your glass, and garnish with a lemon peel, if desired.
The type of apple brandy you use can make a difference in the taste of your cocktail. Calvados, a French apple brandy, tends to have a stronger and brighter apple flavour than American applejack. You can also adjust the cocktail's taste by using a drier curaçao or a different type of benedictine.
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Frequently asked questions
A Honeymoon cocktail is a sour apple brandy cocktail that was invented almost a hundred years ago.
The ingredients of a Honeymoon cocktail are apple brandy, orange curaçao, lemon juice, and Benedictine.
The type of apple brandy used in a Honeymoon cocktail can vary. Some recipes call for French apple brandy, such as Calvados, while others suggest American applejack.
To make a Honeymoon cocktail, combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain the cocktail into a chilled glass and garnish with a lemon twist or lemon peel.
A Honeymoon cocktail has a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, with fruity notes complemented by the spicy Benedictine. It is a complex, boozy drink that is both elegant and delicious.
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