Fitzgerald
Gin, lemon, sugar and Angostura, shaken. Dale DeGroff's 1990s gin sour with bitters — named for a novelist, and the proof that two dashes change everything.
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.
Fill a rocks glass with ice.
Add the gin, lemon juice, syrup and bitters to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Strain over the fresh ice and garnish with a lemon wedge.
A thoughtful finish
- Two dashes of Angostura is the recipe; a third makes it bitter.
- DeGroff serves it on the rocks; it is also good up, with a little less syrup.
- A juniper-forward gin shows against the bitters; a soft gin disappears.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the bitters, which makes it a Gin Sour.
- Too much syrup. Equal parts lemon and syrup is the balance.
- Sour mix.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a Fitzgerald and a Gin Sour?
Two dashes of Angostura bitters. That is the whole recipe and it is a noticeable difference.
Who is it named for?
F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose 1920s New York the Rainbow Room was built to evoke. DeGroff liked the sound of it.
Up or on the rocks?
On the rocks, as DeGroff makes it. Up works with a quarter-ounce less syrup.
Can I use other bitters?
Orange bitters make a brighter, less spicy version. Angostura is the recipe.
Variations
- Gin Sour — Gin, lemon and sugar.
- Bee's Knees — Gin, lemon and honey.
- Tom Collins — Gin, lemon, sugar and soda.
- Whiskey Sour — Bourbon, lemon and sugar.
Where it comes from
c. 1994 · New York City · Dale DeGroff · Rainbow Room
Dale DeGroff made the Fitzgerald at the Rainbow Room in the 1990s for a guest who asked for something with gin that was not a Martini: a gin sour with two dashes of Angostura, served over ice. He named it for F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose Gatsby-era New York the Rainbow Room evoked, and printed it in The Craft of the Cocktail in 2002. It is one of the simplest modern classics — a Gin Sour with bitters — and the bitters are what make it: a spicy, aromatic edge that turns a plain sour into something that tastes like a recipe.
Sources
- Dale DeGroff, The Craft of the Cocktail, 2002 (book)
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, 2016 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Fitzgerald, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.14 US standard drinks at an estimated 17.9% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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