Savoy Tango
I know I’m a day late (and a dollar short) but it’s been… well I won’t bore you with the details. Instead I’ll get to the important stuff, this week’s cocktail! I know I’ve been on a bit of a ginger beer kick lately, but what with it being fall, the ginger beer seems appropriate. The spice reminds me of those great fall flavors, plus it’s bubbly so it’s perfect for those warmer fall afternoons. You know what else reminds me of fall? Apples! So, today I’m changing things up and doing a classic that uses Apple Brandy: the Savoy Tango.
This cocktail is one of the simplest out there. It only has two ingredients. How can a drink with just two ingredients be palatable? When those two ingredients are sloe gin and apple brandy. But as with all cocktails with few ingredients, the type of ingredients you use can make or break this drink. The most important thing to note is that you do not want to use DeKuyper or Hiram Walker sloe gin. These are sicky sweet versions that should really only be used if your making some sort of weird jungle juice for a college party. The version you should use instead is Plymouth. It’s actually made with sloeberries and gin, not food coloring, gin and lots of sugar. Trust me, once you’ve tried the Plymouth, you won’t ever go back. And that other bottle of sloe gin you’ve been? It goes directly in the trash.
Then there’s the apple brandy. Yes, there are plenty of versions out there. But again, a cocktail that relies heavily on one type of liquor should use the best available. And the best available (in my opinion of course) is Laird’s. Much like the Plymouth, Laird’s only uses real ingredients, which means you’ll actually taste the apples. Yes, you’ll taste the alcohol, but the apple flavor definitely comes through, and when that apple combines with those sloe berries, you get a drink that screams fall. Yes, it’s a drink with a punch, but one that you’ll definitely enjoy on a crisp autumn evening.
Unlike last week, I can’t take credit for this cocktail. That claim belongs to a bartender at London’s Savoy Hotel. No, I don’t know his name, but it was a favorite of the bar. Since it was so popular, Harry Craddock included it in his infamous, The Savoy Cocktail Book, a classic cocktail dictionary from which I have mixed many a drink.
While the Savoy has dropped out of the limelight in recent years (mainly due to the availability of sloe gin), it’s still a great cocktail that’s definitely worth a sip or two. Just make sure you have the right ingredients.
Savoy Tango
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 oz. sloe gin
- 1-1/2 oz. apple brandy
Directions:
- Pour both liquors into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir to chill.
- Strain into a cocktail glass and serve.
