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Army and Navy

Citrusy · Classic/vintage · Hall of Fame and must know/try

4.2 485 ratings

Ingredients

2 oz Gin
3/4 oz Lemon juice
1/2 oz Orgeat syrup
2 dash Aromatic bitters
2 drop Saline solution 4:1

How to make

Serve in a coupe glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
  2. 2 Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

Method

  1. 3 SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. 5 EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour profile

18.7% alc./vol. · 1.4 standard drinks · 183 calories

History

Gin featuring almond and lemon. Subtle, citrusy, and quite dry despite ample orgeat.

This cocktail's first known appearance is in David A. Embury's 1948 book, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, which establishes a "made before" date. Little else is known, but based on its name, some suggest it originated at The Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C. The club's lounge is also said to be "where the famous Daiquiri cocktail was introduced to the United States." Embury noted the original recipe used a 2:1:1 formula, though he himself preferred an 8:2:1 ratio, describing the initial formulation as "horrible." Through experimentation, an 8:3:2 formula has been reached in pursuit of balance and flavor. ARMY & NAVY. 1 part Lemon Juice 1 part Orgeat 2 parts Gin This lists the original recipe, which, to the author's mind, is "horrible." When prepared using the 1:2:8 formula, it becomes essentially a Gin Sour with orgeat substituted for sugar syrup.

Created by David A. Embury