Name: Fitzgerald Cocktail
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1.5 oz Gin; 0.75 oz Simple Syrup; 0.75 oz Lemon Juice; 2 dashes Angostura Bitters; Lemon Twist (garnish)

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The Fitzgerald drink is a sophisticated craft cocktail, a popular variation of the classic sour recipe.

Gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and Angostura bitters are shaken with ice until chilled, producing a citrusy and herbaceous drink.

After being strained into a coupe glass, the Fitzgerald Cocktail is garnished with an elegant lemon peel. With its balance of spicy gin, citrus and hint of sweetness, its the perfect sipper to serve any day of the week!

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What Is A Fitzgerald Cocktail?

The Fitzgerald is a mouth-puckering drink that was invented by bartender Dale Degroff in the 1990s.

Beginning in the early 90s at the Rainbow Room in New York City, DeGroff was instrumental in the revival and expansion of the American bar scene. His advocacy for using fresh juices in drinks helped inspire cocktail bars to use fresh ingredients instead of bottled overly-sweet juice from concentrate.

Although essentially a Gin Sour (without the frothy egg white foam), a couple dashes of Angostura bitters into the Fitzgerald adds depth and balance to the elegant drink.

It’s sweet, a wee bit sour, and incredibly easy to shake together in just minutes. It’s the perfect drink to serve guests who are new to the craft cocktail scene because of its simplicity and familiar flavour profile. Anyone who loves sipping lemonade on a hot day is sure to fall head over heels with the Fitzgerald.

What you'll need to make a classic Fitzgerald drink. — What you’ll need to make a classic Fitzgerald drink.

Best Gin For A Fitzgerald Drink

When preparing a homemade Fitzgerald Cocktail we love using a London dry gin for a straightforward, lemon-centric drink, but you can use your favourite botanical gin instead, or swap for vodka if you can’t tolerate the juniper spirit.

Gin has certainly enjoyed a boom in popularity at cocktail bars in recent years. You’ll find fantastic premium gins distilled from Scotland to Muskoka. Here are some of the world’s best selling gins and some of our local small batch favourites:

Malfy Gin: is an Italian brand inspired by the scenic Amalfi Coast. Malfy produces a classic dry gin as well as flavoured bottles featuring lemon, grapefruit and blood orange.
Gordon’s Gin: The world’s top selling gin brand is owned by Diageo. The brand’s pink iteration has undoubtedly helped to fuel its success. Gordon’s has also unveiled a line of new innovative products including two “ultra-low-alcohol” pre-mixed gin and tonic sparkling beverages and Gordon’s Gin-infused popsicles.
Bombay Sapphire Gin: Bacardi-owned Bombay Sapphire is one of the worlds best-selling gins. Bombay Sapphire kicked off a new limited edition range with the launch of a gin inspired by summer in the English countryside.
Tanqueray: Diageo-owned Tanqueray launched a new marketing campaign developed to shift consumers’ attention from “gimmicks” to flavour and unveiled a range of bottled ready-to-drink gin and tonics, made with its London Dry Gin and Flor de Sevilla Distilled Gin.
Beefeater Gin: Pernod Ricard’s flagship gin brand is Beefeater. The brand launched strawberry-flavoured Beefeater Pink in 2018 and further expanded its portfolio with the debut of a new blood orange-flavoured gin.
The Botanist: is produced by Bruichladdich Distillery on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. The famous Islay Scotch Distillery produces an aromatic gin whose ingredients are sourced locally.
Aviation Gin: is an American dry gin produced in Portland, Oregon. Canadian heartthrob from Vancouver, Ryan Reynolds is one of the distillery’s owners, swoon!
Edinburgh Gin: This craft distillery in Edinburgh produces a parade of flavoured gin bottles including rhubarb & ginger gin, raspberry gin, bramble & honey gin, black currant & anise, strawberry & pink peppercorn and pomegranate & rose.
Dillon’s Distillery: This Beamsville producer makes small batch gins including rose gin, cherry gin and strawberry gin.
Muskoka Brewery: This Ontario craft brewery produces a London Dry and spicy pink peppercorn gin.

The Fitzgerald is a Sour Cocktail featuring gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and angostura bitters.

Ingredients

This easy 5-ingredient cocktail recipe features gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters, which are shaken with ice in the perfect proportions then garnished in a coupe glass with a lemon twist.

Gin: we tested this recipe with Tanqueray, Malfy and Beefeater Gin.
Lemon Juice: always use fresh lemon juice instead of citrus concentrate as it is off putting and overly tart.
Simple Syrup: sweeten the cocktail to balance out the tartness of the lemon juice.
Angostura Bitters: add a few drops of the world famous bitters to give the drink some depth and character.
Garnish: decorate the coupe glass with an elegant lemon twist.

Fitzgerald Cocktail Directions

This easy Fitzgerald drink recipe is so easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 5 minutes!

PREPARE THE GLASS: Begin by preparing your cocktail glass. If desired, you can fill each coupe with ice to ensure they are well chilled. Set the glass aside while you prepare the drink.
COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS: In a shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters. The quality of the ingredients is key here, so opt for high-quality gin and fresh lemon juice for the best flavour.
SHAKE & STRAIN: Secure the lid on the cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 30-45 seconds. This step is essential for chilling the ingredients and ensuring proper dilution. Once shaken, strain the cocktail into your prepared glass straight up.
GARNISH & SERVE: Twist a strip of lemon peel over the surface of the drink to release its aromatic oils, then drop it into the glass as a finishing touch. This not only adds visual appeal but also enhances the cocktail’s citrus notes.

Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.

Serve this Fitzgerald drink in a classy coupe cocktail glass.

Fitzgerald Drink Recipe Tips

We suggest serving a Fitzgerald drink in an elegant couple cocktail glass.
While we like to use traditional gin when making this cocktail you can substitute for vodka.
We’ve shaken and strained this cocktail but if you like ice in your glass to keep it cool feel free to plop a few cubes into a rocks glass before serving.
Our recipe serves one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a festive punch bowl or jug rather than a cocktail shaker.
Feel free to add a few drops of your favourite flavoured bitters instead of Angostura to give the drink additional citrus notes. Lemon, Rhubarb and Grapefruit Bitters work well.
Add a splash of soda water for a fizzy twist to make the drink less boozy and more refreshing.
An hour or two before you’re planning on serving drinks we suggest placing the gin bottle in the freezer so it is well chilled.
We like to garnish the glass with a lemon twist but you can also use a dehydrated lemon wheel.

Garnish each coupe cocktail glass with a lemon twist.

Best Bartender Tools & Cocktail Equipment

Before hosting a swanky Fitzgerald cocktail party you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and cocktail equipment.

Cocktail Kit: cocktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
Cocktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium cocktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin cocktails.
Cocktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite cocktail creations.
Hawthorne Strainer: this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your cocktail shaker rather than in the glass.
Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make cocktail assembly a breeze.
Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
Ice Cube Kit: we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any cocktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
Citrus Peeler & Zester: adorn your craft cocktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.

The Fitzgerald is the perfect cocktail to serve to gin lovers.

You May Also Enjoy These Gin Cocktail Recipes….

When To Serve A Fitzgerald Drink

This sophisticated and refreshing cocktail can be enjoyed any time of year. We love to serve it as a:

Cocktail hour drink served with snacks like Nakladany Hermelin Czech Marinated Camembert Cheese, Smoky Albondigas Tapas Spanish Meatballs or Sigara Börek Crispy Turkish Feta Cheese Filo Cigar Rolls.
Classy guys or girls night beverage
Pre-drink at home before meeting friends at your local bar
Dinner party cocktail served with dishes that compliment the citrusy flavour of the drink like Sherry Cream Sauce Lemon Chicken or Ndunderi Amalfi Lemon Ricotta Gnocchi.

More Sour Cocktails

Sours are a family of cocktails featuring a base spirit, sour (citrus), and sweet elements like simple syrup or honey. There are many variations of a classic sour cocktail, here are some favourites we know you’ll love:

Mojito: the classic Cuban cocktail features rum balanced with lime and fresh mint.
Daiquiri: another Caribbean cocktail features rum muddled with lime and sweetener.
Tom Collins: also known as a gin sour, its light and bubbly thanks to the addition of soda.
Southside Cocktail: a refreshing gin drink prepared with fresh mint, lemon juice and lime. You could also call it a Gin Mojito!
Gin Fizz Cocktail: sweet, tart and tangy, it often has a foamy egg white topping like a Boston Sour.
Sidecar: a classic French cocktail features Cognac brandy shaken with Cointreau and lemon juice.

Now you're an expert on how to make a gin-lovers Fitzgerald cocktail recipe! — Now you’re an expert on how to make a gin-lovers Fitzgerald cocktail recipe!

How To Make A Classic Fitzgerald Cocktail Recipe

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