A Classic “Army and Navy” Gin Cocktail

I’m obsessed with how pretty this drink is.  Though I’m a gin lover, I still haven’t tried out all the classic gin cocktails.  I haven’t even *heard* of all of them.  But as soon as I saw a recipe for a classic “Army and Navy” cocktail, it jumped to the top of the list.

And somehow it feels appropriately patriotic for a 4th of July posting.

What is an Army and Navy cocktail?

As with many classic cocktails, there are a few conflicting stories. 

It’s said that this cocktail recipe was created to honor the Army & Navy college football rivalry.  The rivalry’s tradition dates back to 1890, though from what I can tell the cocktail dates back to World War II, first appearing in a cocktail book in 1948.  Or conversely, that it got its name from the famous Washington D.C. Army and Navy Club.  I prefer the first option.

It’s traditionally made with gin, and is a twist on a gin sour recipe.  I like to think that the gin and lemon are a nod to sailors in some way, but that’s completely made up on my part 🙂

Most of the ingredients are completely run-of-the-mill, except the orgeat syrup.  You can buy it on Amazon or make yourself.  Not sure if liquor stores would have it, but you could look.

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To make the cocktail, it’s super simple.  Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all the ingredients (minus the lemon peel).  I used the weight measurements in the original recipe so used a kitchen scale, but have also translated to ounces below if you want to use a jigger instead.

Shake until cold (I like a good 15-20 seconds).  

Then strain into a chilled glass and garnish with the lemon peel.  

Boozy, cold, crisp perfection.  And takes like two minutes to make.

Other cocktail recipes you’ll love:

• A gin classic:  French Gimlet with Gin
• Twist on the classic:  Fizzy Rosemary Gin Gimlet
• Like the gimlet but with grapefruit:  Bohemian Cocktail (Gin, Elderflower, & Grapefruit)
• Includes lemon:  “River Boyne Fizz”, An Irish Whiskey Cocktail
• Unique:  Bourbon Milk Punch Cocktail

Adapted slightly from The Gin Queen

A Classic Gin "Army and Navy" Cocktail

Yield: 1 cocktail

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 2 minutes

This delicious "Army and Navy" drink recipe is a classic cocktail made with gin, fresh lemon, and interesting orgeat syrup.

Print

Ingredients

• 2 ounces (60 ml) of London dry gin 
• 1/2 ounce (15 ml) of freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce (15 ml) Orgeat syrup
• Dash of bitters
• Lemon twist to garnish

Instructions

1. Add all the ingredients to a shaker filled with ice (minus the lemon peel). 
2. Shake until cold (I like a good 15-20 seconds). 
3. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with the lemon peel.

Notes

The original recipe calls for only half the orgeat syrup (and this is a BOOZY cocktail), but I found it a tiny bit too bitter so upped the amount.

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