Pegu Club Cocktail

Contents:

• How to Make a Pegu Club Video
• History
• Ingredient Breakdown
• Variations
• Our Version
• Recipe

Welcome to another exploration of classic cocktails here at A Bar Above! I’m loving all the drinks of yesteryear we’ve been recreating lately.

So today, we’re making the Pegu Club cocktail. This drink, with its blend of citrus and bitters, is an example of how flavors can transport us back in time. Although I’m going to give you a warning: This is not my favorite cocktail.

However, we do have a delicious variation that Chris, Rob, and I all love, so don’t be deterred!

 

How to Make the Pegu Club

Below, Chris shows you how to create this unique, gin-based cocktail. It’s pretty easy to make, so go gather your bar tools and favorite cocktail glass, and let’s start mixin’.

 

History of the Pegu Cocktail

The Pegu Club cocktail originated in the late 19th century or early 20th century within the social club of the same name, located in Rangoon, Burma (now Yangon, Myanmar). The signature drink of the club, it was a symbol of the luxurious and adventurous lifestyle for expats & British officials in Burma during Colonial times.

It was first featured in Harry McElhone’s cocktail book, Harry of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, in 1923, but it’s likely to have been created earlier since the actual Pegu Club was built in 1882.

 

 

The drink’s popularity may have waned with the decline of the British empire, but the cocktail revival of the 2000s brought the Pegu Club back into the limelight. It reemerged in New York when bartender Audrey Saunders founded her bar in 2005, which was aptly named… well, the Pegu Club, of course.

Saunders and her club are partially credited with pushing forward the newest craft cocktail movement of today; however, you unfortunately can’t visit the newer Pegu Club bar anymore, as it closed in 2020 amongst the Covid-19 pandemic. The classic gin cocktail for which the establishment was named still persists, though– Keep scrolling to see how to make it.

 

Pegu Club Ingredients

The Pegu Club is a simple yet classy cocktail that combines the following:

• Gin: The main spirit provides a crisp, botanical base.
• Orange Curaçao or Liqueur: This adds a touch of sweet orange flavor that plays off the botanical qualities of the gin and balances out the acid. We chose Curaçao because it was a little sweeter, but you could also use an orange liqueur like Cointreau.
• Fresh Lime Juice: Bringing that essential tartness, a little lime juice helps brighten the overall drink. Feel free to use regular limes from the store– or key limes if you can find them.
• Angostura Bitters: Aromatic bitters adds a complex character to cocktails, so it helps draw out the other flavors of this interesting drink.
• Orange Bitters: The addition of citrus cocktail bitters enhances the citrus notes from the orange liqueur.

 

Variations of the Pegu Cocktail

While the classic Pegu Club is a testament to its era, there are several ways you can tweak this refreshing drink to suit modern palates or adjust to your personal taste (if you’re like me, you’ll probably want to):

• Base spirit: Swap the gin for a light rum to bring a tropical twist to the cocktail.
• Bittersweet: Add a splash of grapefruit juice for a slightly bitter counterpart to the liqueur.
• Liqueur matters: Experiment with different brands of orange liqueur or substitute with a splash of elderflower liqueur for a floral note. A lot of people choose Cointreau or triple sec over the traditional orange curaçao.
• Simple syrup: Like it sweeter? If you add simple syrup, it’s pretty much like a gin Margarita. I actually recommend this addition because the original lacks sweetness.

 

Our Version

So, I have to be honest here: I don’t think the Pegu Club is a very good cocktail. Honestly, it’s extremely hard for me to understand why a very influential New York club would be named after a cocktail that tastes so… bad. It really lacks balance and a necessary sweetness, so in our variation, we tried to remedy that.

Originally Rob, Chris, and I thought of using yellow Chartreuse or maybe (our new favorite) Heirloom genepy, but it turned out that good ol’ Dolin genepy was the proper choice; it’s just as herbaceous as the other options but a little more neutral, letting the other ingredients shine. We hope you love it!

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 ounce Blanco Tequila (We used Fortaleza)
• 1/2 ounce Orange Curaçao
• 1/2 ounce Dolin Genepy
• 1/2 ounce Simple Syrup
• 3/4 ounce Lime Juice
• 3 dashes Celery Bitters
• 1 dash Trinity Bitters

DIRECTIONS

1. In your cocktail shaker, add all ingredients with ice.
2. Shake thoroughly for 10-15 seconds.
3. Strain your cocktail into a coupe glass, and (optional) garnish with a lime wheel.

 

Last Call!

This signature cocktail isn’t just for British Army officers– it’s a little sip of history that anyone can enjoy– so grab your cocktail shaker, and join us in reviving this timeless classic. And definitely let us know what you think in the comments. Cheers!