20th Century Cocktail – The Taste of Art Deco

20th Century Cocktail


The Taste of Art Deco

20th Century Cocktail

The Twentieth Century Cocktail still seems fresh even though we are well into the twenty first. This cocktail relies on the surprising combination of gin and chocolate. It first appeared in the Cafe Royale Bar Book in 1937. A century later it still seems modern.

This drink is an intriguing variation on a Corpse Reviver No.2 that swaps crème de cacao for orange liqueur. Perfect for the adventurous palate.

Description of the Item

  • Style of Cocktail – Daisy
  • Glass – Coupe
  • Ice – Served Up

This drink strikes an interesting balance. The rich creme de cacao flavors interact with gin botanicals in some surprising ways. Lillet Blanc, and fresh lemon juice keep it light and refreshing.

In style it a daisy. The lemon juice is the sour component. The sweetness comes from the creme de cacao. You may want to adjust the amount of creme de cacao. It can get overpowering very quickly.

If you are interested in learning more about classic cocktails check out our guide.

The 20th Century Cocktail History

A Drink Named for the “World’s Most Famous Train”

The 20th Century Limited was the flagship train of the New York Central Line. It ran from Grand Central Terminal in New York City to La Salle Station in Chicago from 1902 to 1967. In 1937 a new streamlined design for the train was announced.

Fun fact: The 20th Century Limited gave us the expression ‘red carpet treatment’ due to the fact that passengers boarded the train by walking up a red carpet.

I came across this cocktail in Ted Haigh’s Vintage Cocktails and Forgotten Favorites book. The original recipe appeared on the 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book by William J. Tarling.

This is what art deco tastes like.

Ted Haigh, AKA Dr. Cocktail

How to Make the 20th Century Cocktail

The 20th Century cocktail is a variation on a Corpse Reviver No.2. In this case the orange liqueur is traded for crème de cacao. The combination of gin and chocolate is sounds like it shouldn’t work, but it is one of those odd combinations that is surprisingly delicious. I put a variation of this on a cocktail menu once. It didn’t get ordered often, but the few people who did order became die-hard fans.

Ingredients

  • Gin – Given the period of this I like a classic London Dry gin. Something with a strong peppercorn note works well. Bombay Sapphire is a good choice.
  • Lillet Blanc – In my house Lillet Blanc has worked its way up from cocktail ingredient to Tuesday evening staple. It’s just that delicious. Still great with gin,
  • Crème de Cacao – You’re looking for a light creme de cacao here. This drink is enough of an oddball without adding brown color to the mix.
  • Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice lifts the whole thing up and add some bright acidity.

Instructions

The 20th Century contains citrus, lemon juice, which means you are getting out your cocktail shaker. Its shake shake time!

Fill your cocktail shaker with ice. Add all the ingredients, shake and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a strip of lemon twist.

If you’re feeling frisky and you want to get really wild try garnishing this drink with an orange zest and some rosemary. Orange and rosemary are one of those unexpected pairings that works well with gin.

Tips

Keep the chocolate note in check. Don’t overdo the creme de cacao. A 1/2 oz  is plenty. Use less if it is too much.

Twentieth Century Cocktail – Recipe

  • 1 ½ oz London dry gin
  • ¾ oz Lillet Blanc
  • ½ oz white creme de cacao
  • ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
  • Wide swath of lemon zest for garnish.
  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour in gin, lillet, creme de cacao
  2. Shake vigorously fo r10 – 15 seconds.
  3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  4. Garnish with lemon twist.

Aviation

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Rolls Royce

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Sidecar Cockail
Sidecar Cocktail

Sidecar

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