Lucien Gaudin
Gin, Campari, Cointreau and dry vermouth, stirred. A 1920s drink named for a champion fencer — a Negroni's drier, orange-forward cousin.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe.
Add the gin, Campari, orange liqueur and dry vermouth to a mixing glass.
Fill with ice and stir for 25 seconds.
Strain into the chilled coupe, express an orange peel over the top and drop it in.
A thoughtful finish
- A dry 40% orange liqueur keeps it from being sweet; with a sweet triple sec the drink tips.
- Two to one gin is the balance; equal parts makes it closer to a Negroni's weight.
- The orange peel is essential; it ties the Campari to the Cointreau.
Common mistakes
- Sweet vermouth, which makes it a Negroni with Cointreau.
- A sweet triple sec.
- Shaking.
A few good questions.
Who was Lucien Gaudin?
A French fencer, Olympic champion in foil and épée in 1924 and 1928, and considered the finest of his era.
What does the drink taste like?
A dry, orange-forward Negroni — Campari's bitterness, Cointreau's orange, dry vermouth's crispness, over gin.
How is it different from a Negroni?
Dry vermouth for sweet, Cointreau added, and more gin. It is drier and less bitter.
Up or on the rocks?
Up, traditionally; it works on a large cube too.
Variations
- Negroni — Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth.
- Old Pal — Rye, dry vermouth and Campari.
- Jasmine — Gin, lemon, Campari and Cointreau.
- Boulevardier — Bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth.
Where it comes from
c. 1920s · France
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Lucien Gaudin was the greatest fencer of his generation — Olympic champion in 1924 and 1928 — and a cocktail with his name appears in French and American books of the late 1920s: gin, Campari, Cointreau and dry vermouth, in roughly 2 : 1 : 1 : 1, stirred. Who made it for him is unrecorded; it may be from a Paris bar celebrating his Olympic wins. It is a Negroni with dry vermouth for sweet and Cointreau added, which makes it drier and more orange, and it was one of the first Campari cocktails the 2000s revival dug up after the Negroni itself.
Sources
- Gary Regan, The Negroni, 2015 (book)
- Ted Haigh, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, 2009 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Lucien Gaudin, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.41 US standard drinks at an estimated 28.2% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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