🏛️ East India Cocktail

Cognac, red curaçao, raspberry syrup & maraschino — from 1882

Cognac (VS or VSOP)
5 min
Stirred
Chilled Coupe
~29%
Ingredients
  • 60ml (2 oz) Cognac VS or VSOP (Rémy Martin, Courvoisier, or Hine)
  • 5ml (1 tsp) red curaçao liqueur (Cointreau Rouge or Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao)
  • 5ml (1 tsp) raspberry (framboise) syrup — or pineapple syrup for the 1888 No.2 version
  • 2.5ml (½ tsp) Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
  • 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
  • Lemon zest twist to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    Chill glassPlace a coupe in the freezer for 5 minutes before mixing, or fill it with ice water.
  2. 2
    StirCombine all ingredients in a mixing glass with cracked ice. Stir for 30 seconds — 50 turns — until well chilled.
  3. 3
    StrainFine-strain through both a Hawthorne strainer and a mesh sieve into the chilled, dried coupe.
  4. 4
    GarnishExpress a lemon zest twist over the surface — pinch the peel and fold toward the drink to spray the oils. Run the zest around the rim. Either drop in or discard per preference.

About This Cocktail

The East India Cocktail first appeared in Harry Johnson's 1882 New and Improved Illustrated Bartender's Manual — one of the most important bartending books in history. It was named in tribute to the British East India Company, the trading empire that from the 17th to 19th centuries controlled vast swaths of India, the spice trade, and the movement of cognac, curaçao, and tropical goods between East and West. The drink's ingredients echo the Company's major imports: brandy from France (traded via India), curaçao from Dutch-controlled Caribbean spice islands, pineapple/raspberry referencing tropical colonised territories, and maraschino from Dalmatia. Red curaçao — not orange or blue — is essential.

Variations

East India No.2 (1888)Swap raspberry syrup for pineapple syrup — from Harry Johnson's revised 1888 edition. Drier, more tropical; the cognac leads more clearly
Ruby FlorentineAdd a barspoon of Ruby Port floated on top for crimson colour and wine depth
Bengal TigerReplace maraschino with Cherry Heering, add 0.5 oz pineapple juice — a 20th-century evolution of the same family
Bartender Tips

This is a recipe where quality of cognac matters. The modifiers (curaçao, raspberry, maraschino) are present in tiny quantities — their role is to add layers, not flavour. A good VS cognac is ideal — you want the fruit and floral notes of young cognac, not the oak of VSOP for this application. Red curaçao is non-negotiable — blue or orange curaçao produce different flavours. Luxardo is the standard maraschino — Maraska can substitute. The 1888 version replaces raspberry syrup with pineapple syrup (East India No.2) — drier, more tropical.

The Specs
Spirit Base
Cognac (VS or VSOP)
Method
Stirred
Glass
Chilled Coupe
ABV
~29%
Where to Find It
Restaurants
Classic cocktail bars; Difford's Guide No.1 bar-world reference; served at Milroy's of Soho (London), Bar Hemingway (Paris), and serious cognac bars worldwide
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