Prince of Wales

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Cocktail History

The Prince of Wales is a classic cocktail that is said to have been created by King Edward VII, the monarch of England from 1901-1910. It was first published in a tell-all book about the prince in which this drink, which is traditionally made with sparkling wine, rye whiskey, pineapple, sugar, cherry, and bitters, was listed as being one of his favorites.

Cocktail Ingredients

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

Sparkling Wine: This is a type of wine made with white grapes and yeast, which are fermented with the skins to produce alcohol and then infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a pale yellow-green color and crisp, fruity flavor.

Rye: This is a type of whiskey made with at least 51% fermented rye grain, malted barley, corn, and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in new charred oak barrels to develop a spicy, robust flavor.

Pineapple Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe pineapples that has a sweet, tangy tropical flavor and bright yellow color.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Maraschino Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with maraschino cherries, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, fruity flavor.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.

Lemon Peel: This the peel of a lemon that has been cut into a strip.

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.

Pineapple Corer: This is used to remove the core of the pineapple before it’s juiced. I used the OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Pineapple Corer.

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, fruits, and vegetables. I used the Hamilton Beach Large Juicer.

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

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright fizzy yellow color

• Aroma: Lemon zest, pineapple, and whiskey spices

• Taste: Off-dry yet slightly sweet wine flavor that’s overshadowed by spicy rye and bitters, fruity pineapple, and a hint of cherry

• Finish: More effervescent wine and spices

Kendall’s Take: “I’m a few years into doing regular cocktail tastings, and this is still one of the most interesting sparkling wine drinks I’ve had. I go into bubbly cocktail tastings expecting all of them to be fairly sweet, but this one couldn’t be further from that. The rye lends its usual dark, spicy burn that you expect to be offset by fruity pineapple and sweet wine, but that’s not the case. This drink is quite dry with a fascinating tang that’s just hard to describe. It doesn’t land on my list of favorite cocktails, but the Prince of Wales is worth experiencing at least once if you want a sparkling wine cocktail with a twist.”

Recipe

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