Charlie Chaplin

This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.

Cocktail History

The Charlie Chaplin is a vintage cocktail that was created in the early 1900s at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, New York. The recipe, which is named after the comedic actor from the early film era, is made with an equal-parts mixture of three common pre-Prohibition ingredients: sloe gin, apricot brandy, and lime.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Sloe Gin: This is a liqueur made with sloe berries, white sugar, and gin, which are blended and infused to develop a tart, slightly sweet berry flavor.

Apricot Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with apricot juice, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended, infused, and sometimes aged to develop a smooth, stone fruit flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Fords Sloe Gin
• 🔗 Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot Liqueur

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Nick & Nora Glass: This is a small, stemmed glass with a round or square delicately curved bowl that’s used for serving stirred, spirit-forward cocktails in smaller portions.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 Amehla Honeycomb Nick & Nora Glass Set

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Vibrant red-ish pink color

• Aroma: Sloe fruit and citrus

• Taste: Candy-sweet taste of fruit and sloe gin

• Finish: Tangy lime

Kendall’s Take
“This vintage cocktail’s mix of sloe gin, apricot liqueur, and lime makes for a surprisingly charming combination of flavors. The fruit elements create a lovely balance between sweet and tart, giving the drink a bright, almost candy-like quality. The Charlie Chaplin is a great example of how older recipes often leaned into simple but satisfying flavor pairings, and the result is a cocktail that feels both classic and pleasantly playful.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Steve The Bartender’s Cocktail Guide by Steve Roennfeldt.