Spencer
Spencer is made with gin, apricot liqueur, orange juice and aromatic bitters, shaken cold, chilled for serving.
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 and prepare the garnish before mixing.
Add all measured ingredients to a shaker.
Add ice, seal the shaker and shake until the tin feels thoroughly cold.
Fine strain into the prepared coupe.
Squeeze a fresh orange peel over the surface for its oils, then remove it. Add a drained cocktail cherry on a pick.
A thoughtful finish
- Squeeze the orange peel over the glass before adding the cherry so the aroma reaches the surface.
- Measure the liqueur and base spirit separately to keep the published proportions consistent.
- Chill the serving glass as well as the mixture so the first sip stays cold.
Common mistakes
- Apricot jam does not behave like the apricot liqueur used in the liquid formula.
- Free-pouring the sweet ingredient can cover the spirit’s flavor even when the serving looks correct.
- A warm serving glass quickly undoes the chilling achieved during mixing.
A few good questions.
What is in a Spencer?
Spencer is made with gin, apricot liqueur, orange juice and aromatic bitters, shaken cold.
Can I scale a Spencer for more servings?
Multiply every measured ingredient by the same serving count. Prepare the measured still ingredients ahead if useful, but chill, shake or stir each serving as directed; add any carbonated finish at service.
Can I switch liqueur brands?
You can try another bottle of the same liqueur style, but sweetness and alcohol content can vary. Treat the result as a bottle variation and keep the original version identified.
What glass should I use for a Spencer?
Use the assigned coupe for this directory serving. Where that differs from the source’s presentation, the version note labels the serving adaptation.
Variations
- Another bottle of the base — Editorial bottle variation: use another producer of the same london dry gin style at the listed measure; record the bottle rather than assuming identical sweetness or strength.
- Alternate citrus peel — Editorial presentation variation: try a different fresh citrus peel for the surface aroma while keeping the liquid formula unchanged; identify it as a garnish change.
Where it comes from
Spencer is made with gin, apricot liqueur, orange juice and aromatic bitters, shaken cold, chilled for serving.
Sources
- Difford’s Guide — Spencer Cocktail Recipe (reference) link
Strength. About 1.76 US standard drinks at an estimated 27.8% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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