The Paradise Cocktail Recipe

Posted in Gin on March 4, 2014

The Paradise cocktail has a very appealing name indeed. It is a sweet and fruity drink, so if you have a preference for this type of cocktails, you will definitely enjoy one. The Paradise is gin based and it can be compared with the martini. The former is a dry cocktail, while the Paradise is its sweet and fruity counterpart. It is made of gin, apricot brandy and orange juice in a 2:1:1 ratio. Using less gin or using equal parts of each ingredient can make the cocktail pretty bad in taste. It comes out too sweet, even for the people who have a strong sweet tooth. However, the 2:1:1 ratio seems to be ideal for obtaining the perfect balance between the alcoholic taste of gin and the sweetness of the other ingredients. In fact, the apricot brandy is used as a sweetener while the purpose of the orange juice is to balance the ingredients and to complement flavors.

The origins of the Paradise cocktail can be traced back in the 30s. The first written reference about it was made by Henry Carddock in the Savoy Cocktail Book. It was very popular back in the 50s when the apricot brandy was much appreciated. In time, the desire for consuming sweet and fruity liqueurs has diminished, but it would be a shame to forget such a delicious cocktail as the Paradise. It is meant to be an aperitif and it is perfect for being served before summer dinners. Its sweetness makes it a drink more popular among women than men, but some men won’t refuse this cool, refreshing drink either in hot summer evenings.

How to Prepare the Paradise Cocktail

You need the following ingredients:

• 2 oz. of gin.
• 1 oz. of apricot brandy.
• 1 oz. of orange juice.

Some recipes also call for ½ oz. of lemon juice. It is up to you if you want to use it or not. You might also come across recipes which use different dosages for the gin. This is the original Paradise recipe. You can try this first and then adjust the gin amount as per your preferences. You can also experiment with the apricot brandy if the drink is still too sweet for you.  The best part when making cocktails at home is that you can actually modify the recipes as per your personal taste. They might not be the original ones, but as long as you like them, there is nothing wrong.

Here is what you have to do for preparing the Paradise:

• Put all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
• Shake them well.
• Strain them into a chilled cocktail glass and serve with no additional ice.

Enjoy!