Douglas Fairbanks

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Cocktail History

The Douglas Fairbanks is a classic cocktail that is believed to have been created by a bartender in the early 1900s for the movie star while he was on a trip to Havana, Cuba. The story says ‘The King of Hollywood,’ as he was known at the time after starring in The Mask of Zorro and Robin Hood, found out his wife Mary Pickford had a drink named after her and wanted one for himself. He then challenged the bartender to come up with a recipe, and this one made with gin, apricot brandy, and citrus was the result.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. I used Far North Spirits Solveig Gin.

Apricot Brandy: This is a liqueur made with apricots, spices, sugar, and brandy. I used Phillips Apricot Brandy.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Lemon Twist: This is the peel of a lemon that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

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.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. I used the Happy Hour Supplies Black Sword Cocktail Pick.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Golden yellow color

• Aroma: Citrus and botanicals

• Taste: Juniper-forward flavor followed by deeper brandy spices

• Finish: Hint of stone fruit

Kendall’s Take: “Although drier than expected, I liked this cocktail. It’s easy to make and reminded me a bit of the Hotel Nacional, just with gin and apricot instead of rum and pineapple. I’d say the Douglas Fairbanks is an inoffensive pick if you’re in the mood for a gin drink and have some apricot liqueur on hand that you want to use up.”

Recipe

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