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Cocktail History
The Elephants Sometimes Forget is a vintage cocktail that was created by Crosby Gaige in the 1930s and was first published in his book Cocktail Guide & Ladies’ Companion in 1941. The origin of its whimsical name is unknown, but the recipe is traditionally made with the unique combination of gin, cherry brandy, citrus, and vermouth.
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 Prairie Organic Spirits Navy Strength Gin.
Cherry Brandy: This is a type of brandy made with cherries, spices, sugar, and alcohol. I used Door County Distillery Cherry Brandy.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of an lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Dry Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. I used Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Orange Bitters.
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.
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Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Faint yellow color
• Aroma: Citrus and botanicals
• Taste: Straightforward tart citrus flavor at first followed by complex gin botanicals, cherry, and wine
• Finish: Fortified wine and juniper aftertaste
Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kendall’s Take: “This is yet another vintage recipe made with a familiar mix of ingredients from that era that I had never heard of before coming across it in the book. My take is that it’s one of those that you may not like at first, but the longer you sip it, the more you crave another taste because the tart, dry flavors are so fascinating. If I made the Elephants Sometimes Forget again, I’d probably use a bit less lemon, but other than that, I highly recommend trying it if you’ve never had it before too.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-12-12.
Elephants Sometimes Forget
The Elephants Sometimes Forget is a vintage cocktail that was created by Crosby Gaige in the 1930s and was first published in his book Cocktail Guide & Ladies' Companion in 1941. The origin of its whimsical name is unknown, but the recipe is traditionally made with the unique combination of gin, cherry brandy, citrus, and vermouth.
Ingredients
Method
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Add gin, cherry brandy, lemon juice, dry vermouth, orange bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a cocktail glass.
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Garnish with lemon twist.
