Paradise
A beautiful hue of sunrise orange, the Paradise cocktail is gin-based with a generous helping of apricot liqueur, orange juice in a 2:1:1 ratio and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Perhaps the first documented recipe that wasn't oral was noted down in Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails Book by Harry MacElhone in 1922. The recipe called for equal parts dry gin, apricot liqueur and orange juice.
Fast forward to 1930, this recipe was revised by Harry Craddock in his 1930 book, The Savoy Cocktail Book; it was listed by the name “Paradise Punch” in his book. Two years down the line, Paradise debuted on the silver screen by starring in the romance film, One Way Passage, being portrayed as the drink of two ill-fated lovers, Joan and Dan (played by Kay Francis and William Powell respectively).
Several decades later it is said that the OG rapper and everyone’s favourite uncle, Snoop Dogg, mixed a giant cocktail that earned him the Guinness World Record for creating the “Largest Paradise Cocktail”. He mixed 500 litres of the cocktail which was 180 bottles of gin, a little more than 154 bottles of apricot brandy, and 144 bottles of orange juice. He presented this at the Bottle Rock Napa event in 2018 which won him this title.
The combination of apricot, orange and gin is what makes the Paradise cocktail truly unique. If you're looking for a drink with one-of-a-kind flavour fusion in each sip, the Paradise is an excellent choice. It stands out for its novel blend of apricot brandy and orange juice and this fruity duo creates a sweet flavour profile, balanced by the sourness of the lemon juice, that is hard to not get addicted to. Adding gin to the mix gives the Paradise cocktail a soothing aromatic backbone without overpowering the other ingredients, with its subtle botanical notes.
Ingredients
Method
1. Grab a cocktail shaker and fill it up with ice.
2. Add the ingredients and shake well for a couple of seconds.
3. Strain and serve into a chilled cocktail glass with a wide rim.
