Improved Holland Gin Cocktail

Genever stirred with sugar, maraschino, bitters and absinthe. Jerry Thomas's 1876 "improved" cocktail.

Stirred · Rocks glass · Medium · about 3 minutes · about 29% ABV

Ingredients

• 60 ml Genever
• 5 ml Sugar syrup
• 5 ml Maraschino liqueur
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 dash Absinthe
• Lemon twist (garnish)

Method

1. Pour 60 ml genever into the mixing glass
2. Pour 5 ml sugar syrup into the mixing glass
3. Pour 5 ml maraschino liqueur into the mixing glass
4. Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
5. Add 1 dash of absinthe
6. Add ice
7. Stir
8. Strain
9. Garnish

Tip

Serve on one big cube to keep dilution low.

About the Improved Holland Gin Cocktail

The Old Fashioned family. In 1806 a New York newspaper defined a "cocktail" as spirits, sugar, water and bitters. By the 1880s drinkers asked for their whiskey "the old-fashioned way", and the name stuck. It is the original cocktail formula: a strong spirit, a little sweetness and bitters, stirred over ice.

Improved Holland Gin Cocktail FAQ

What's in an Improved Holland Gin Cocktail?

60 ml genever, 5 ml sugar syrup, 5 ml maraschino liqueur, 2 dashes angostura bitters, 1 dash absinthe, garnished with lemon twist.

How strong is an Improved Holland Gin Cocktail?

About 29% ABV once mixed with ice, which is 2.0 Australian standard drinks per serve. That is close to a straight spirit, so sip it slowly.

Should I shake or stir an Improved Holland Gin Cocktail?

Stir it. It is made only of spirits and wines, so stirring keeps it clear and silky. Shaking would make it cloudy and frothy.

What glass do you serve an Improved Holland Gin Cocktail in?

A rocks glass, about 300 ml. Serve it over ice. No rocks glass? Use any short, heavy tumbler.