Olympic
Cognac, orange curaçao and orange juice in equal parts, shaken. The Ritz Paris drink for the 1924 Games — a brandy sour on orange, sweet and simple.
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 cognac, curaçao and orange juice to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe and garnish with an orange peel.
A thoughtful finish
- Fresh orange juice; the drink is a third juice and carton orange flattens it.
- A dry curaçao at 40%; with a sweet one the drink is a dessert.
- Two to one brandy is drier than the 1920s equal parts and most modern palates prefer it.
Common mistakes
- Carton orange juice.
- A sweet curaçao.
- Stirring; the juice wants the shake.
A few good questions.
What does an Olympic taste like?
A brandy sour on orange — soft, sweet, fruity, with cognac underneath. It is gentler than a Sidecar.
Was it made for the 1924 Olympics?
So the Ritz story goes; Frank Meier printed it in 1936 and Craddock in 1930. The attribution is traditional.
How is it different from a Sidecar?
Orange juice in place of lemon and orange curaçao in place of Cointreau. It is sweeter and softer.
Can I add lemon?
A quarter-ounce sharpens it and makes a drink closer to a Sidecar with orange.
Variations
- Sidecar — Cognac, orange liqueur and lemon.
- Maiden's Prayer — Gin, orange liqueur, lemon and orange.
- Blood and Sand — Scotch, cherry liqueur, vermouth and orange.
- Chapala — Tequila, orange, lemon and grenadine.
Where it comes from
1924 · Paris · Frank Meier (attributed) · Ritz Hotel, Paris
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The Olympic is usually credited to Frank Meier of the Ritz bar in Paris and the 1924 Olympic Games held there; Meier’s 1936 book prints it and Harry Craddock’s Savoy book of 1930 has it too — brandy, orange curaçao and orange juice in equal parts, shaken. It is a brandy sour on orange rather than lemon, which makes it sweeter and softer, and it was a fashionable drink of the 1920s that did not outlive them. With fresh orange juice and a dry curaçao it is a pleasant, easy cocktail; the equal parts can be tightened toward the brandy.
Sources
- Frank Meier, The Artistry of Mixing Drinks, 1936 (book)
- Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930 (book)
- Ted Haigh, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, 2009 (book)
Strength. About 1.5 US standard drinks at an estimated 24% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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