Yellow Daisy
Yellow Daisy is made with gin, dry vermouth, cognac orange liqueur and absinthe in a stirred cocktail, served cold.
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 mixing glass.
Add ice and stir until thoroughly cold and gently diluted, tasting with a clean spoon if needed.
Strain into the prepared coupe.
Squeeze a fresh grapefruit peel over the surface for its oils, then rest it against the glass.
A thoughtful finish
- Use the explicitly permitted stirred preparation for this directory’s assigned technique.
- Keep opened vermouth refrigerated so its flavor stays fresh between servings.
- Use solid ice and stir smoothly; stop once the mixture is cold and pleasantly diluted.
Common mistakes
- Calling this the classic shaken preparation would conceal the serving choice made here.
- Oxidized vermouth can taste dull or stale even when the spirit and measurements are correct.
- Stirring with mostly melted ice can make the drink watery before it becomes properly cold.
A few good questions.
What is in a Yellow Daisy?
Yellow Daisy is made with gin, dry vermouth, cognac orange liqueur and absinthe in a stirred cocktail.
Can I scale a Yellow Daisy 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 make this with an old bottle of vermouth?
Fresh, refrigerated vermouth gives a better result. If an opened bottle tastes oxidized or stale, replace it before judging the recipe’s balance.
What glass should I use for a Yellow Daisy?
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 vermouth producer — Editorial bottle variation: use the same vermouth styles and measures from another producer; botanical character and sweetness can change.
- 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
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The Yellow Daisy appears in Harry Craddock’s 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, where an accompanying note links the drink to Richard William “Deadwood Dick” Clark. As reproduced and discussed by Difford’s Guide, that note says Clark made the drink famous and suggests that he may have invented it. A suggestion of invention is not a documented creation record, so this entry does not turn Clark into a certain creator or 1930 into an invention year. The preparation also has a meaningful distinction: the historical book tells the reader to shake, while the modern reference explicitly allows stirring. This directory uses that permitted stirred option to match its assigned technique and labels the choice. Its single-serving measures are the modern reference’s adaptation, rather than an unlabeled conversion of the book’s multi-person glasses-and-dashes formula.
Sources
- Difford’s Guide — Yellow Daisy (reference) link
Strength. About 1.89 US standard drinks at an estimated 27.6% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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