Plum, dried orange, caramel, citrus
An excellent aperitif with a few almonds and a hunk of sheep’s milk cheese such as Petit Basque. Oddly enough, the Leap Year is also a great cocktail alongside eggrolls.
To honor the leap year in 1928, bartender Harry Craddock of London’s Savoy Hotel created this special cocktail—an elegant gin drink with a sweet-sour hook. The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) charges this cocktail with a flurry of marriage proposals, as leap-year ladies asked their men to marry them. In a leap year, roles reverse, you know. If you’re a martini fan, or an aspiring martini fan, this one goes down easy. The addition of Grand Marnier to gin and vermouth adds an aromatic note and a touch of orange flavor. Sublime. Note that the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London is still going strong—it’s a glorious place to lose one’s inhibitions amid art deco decor.
2 ounces (60 ml) gin (Plymouth)
½ ounce (15 ml) sweet vermouth (Vya or Carpano Antica)
½ ounce (15 ml) Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Lemon peel, for garnish
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into chilled coupe glass. To garnish, rest the peel on the side of the glass.