Pendennis Club (cocktail)
| Cocktail | |
|---|---|
| Type | Mixed drink |
| Served | Straight up: chilled, without ice |
| Standard garnish | optionally a split kumquat |
| Standard drinkware | Cocktail glass |
| Commonly used ingredients |
|
| Preparation | Pour all ingredients into mixing tin with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, optional over a split kumquat. |
The Pendennis Club cocktail (or Pendennis cocktail) is a cocktail created at the private club of the same name, the Pendennis Club of Louisville, Kentucky, in or shortly before 1911. It experienced a minor revival in the 2010s, but as of 2024 it remains uncommon.
The original cocktail (1911) is made of gin and apricot brandy in a 2:1 ratio, plus lime juice. Later versions (1939) add Peychaud's bitters, which is generally retained in later recipes, and a kumquat, which is sometimes optionally used. Modern versions vary the apricot ingredient, splitting apricot eau-de-vie with apricot liqueur or added sugar, both due to lack of availability of "apricot brandy" and to balance the tartness and sweetness. This makes it a kind of fancy gin sour ("fancy" because the sweetener is not simply sugar). The combination of apricot and lime tastes similar to grapefruit, though grapefruit is not used in the cocktail.
There is also a version with dry vermouth instead of lime juice, but this appears to be a confusion with another cocktail; see § History.