Saigon Lady

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Cocktail History

The Saigon Lady is a modern cocktail that was created by Lucinda Sterling at Middle Branch in New York City, New York. Inspired by the spicy and exotic taste of Saigon Cinnamon, the recipe is built using the sour template and blends a split base of brandy and Scotch whisky with homemade grenadine, citrus, and frothy egg white to recreate the spice’s flavor profile.

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 Blended Scotch Whisky.

Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in Cognac, France with distilled white wine. I used Courvoisier VSOP Cognac.

Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Egg White: This is the clear liquid in an egg. I used fresh egg whites.

Ground Cinnamon: This is a spice. I used Simply Organic Ground Cinnamon.

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.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Delicate pink color with frothy white top

• Aroma: Cinnamon and spices

• Taste: Sweet oaky flavor accented with citrus and sweet pomegranate

• Finish: Slightly bitter and peaty Scotch

Kendall’s Take: “This is one of the most interesting recipes I’ve tasted so far. The cinnamon on top gives it a dessert aroma, while the pomegranate becomes the main flavor with Scotch coming through at the end. It’s definitely a sweeter drink, so those with more discerning palates probably wouldn’t like it as much. But for someone like me, the Saigon Lady is a great pick if you want to get used to Scotch’s smoky flavor.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.