De Rigueur

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Cocktail History

The De Rigueur is a classic cocktail that was created by Harry Craddock at the Savoy Hotel in London, England and was first published in his 1930 book The Savoy Cocktail Book. It is one of two similar recipes, the first being this French-inspired drink made with Scotch whisky, grapefruit, and honey and the second being an American drink called the Brown Derby made with bourbon instead of Scotch.

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Cocktail Ingredients

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

Scotch: This is a type of whiskey made in Scotland with malt or grain, spices, alcohol, and water. I used The Famous Grouse.

Grapefruit Juice: This is the liquid juice of a grapefruit. I used freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.

Honey Syrup: This is a sweetener made with honey and water. I used this stovetop recipe.

Grapefruit Wedge: This is a grapefruit slice that has been cut into a wedge shape.

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Bartending Tools

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

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale golden yellow color

• Aroma: Smoky whisky and citrus

• Taste: Surprisingly bitter citrus flavor rounded out with an explosion of Scotch spices

• Finish: Some sweet honey notes and more grapefruit

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "Of the Brown Derby and De Rigueur, which are very similar recipes just from different continents, I think I have to call this my least favorite of the two. It is very good and still grapefruit-forward like the Brown Derby, but there's just something that's a little less palatable about this one for me. I think it's the Scotch because the other uses bourbon, which I find to be much more to my liking, so I suppose that means you should try both versions as well and make your own call as to which you enjoy more. It is a great classic that's earned its keep, and Scotch fans like it as much as they do."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.