The Jasmine is a classic cocktail that is pretty to look at and refreshing to sip any time of the year. To continue my research on retro cocktails, I have run across this stunning gin, citrusy cocktail. Even though there is no grapefruit in the ingredients, you can’t help but think it tastes like freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. The combination of the Campari, Cointreau, and lemon, along with a good gin, such as Spring44, makes this cocktail an absolute beauty. If you follow me at all, then you know I am all about grapefruit flavored things. The Jasmine is a perfect addition to that list.
In early 1992, in a bar in Northern California, a young student at UC Berkley was working as a bartender to help pay bills. He was asked by a classmate to “make me something new.” This bartender’s name was Paul Harrington. Unlike many bartenders around colleges, Mr. Harrington was fascinated by the chemistry and history of many retro cocktails and spent hours researching their history. With that knowledge, he decided to come up with his own cocktail. As the story goes, it took him less than 30 seconds to come up with the Jasmine. This cocktail has elements of many retro cocktails such as the Cosmo, bees’ knees, and especially Pegu Club cocktail. The Jasmine pulls from all of them. Though not nearly as sweet as several of those retro cocktails with the addition of Campari, it definitely has that citrus-forward combination that makes it so refreshing. A funny story about the name: He named the drink “Jasmine” after that college friend (not knowing until years later that his classmate’s name was spelled “Jasmin”).
Paul Harrington never entered this famous cocktail in any contest or wrote it down in a book. This cocktail spread far and wide just on its popularity and how delicious it was. It showed up in bars across the country and as far as Europe within a short time. It wasn’t until recently that someone has written down and published the recipe for this lovely cocktail in a book called “A Proper Drink” by Robert Simonson, published in 2016. That cocktail book is a fantastic ride through creative and delicious cocktails that I recommend adding to your bookshelf. (I get a small, tiny commission if you use any link on this page to help fund my blog) As for Mr. Harrington, he graduated from college and pursued a successful career in architecture. He now lives in the Spokane area with his wife and kids.
There are signs we can start emerging from this challenging time, and hopefully, we will be back to more normal life soon if we can just hold on a little longer until it is safe. Please think of others and the consequences of your own behavior. We can do this! Well, that is all for this week. I hope you are all safe and well. Enjoy this cocktail as a celebration of things to come. Till next time!
- 1 ½ ounces gin such as Spring44
- ¼ ounce Cointreau
- ¼ ounce Campari
- ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
- Lemon peel for garnish
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Chill a coupe or martini glass, either by placing it in the fridge or by filling it with ice.
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Combine the gin, Cointreau, Campari, and the fresh lemon juice in a cocktail shaker.
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Fill the shaker with ice.
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Cover and shake for several seconds until very cold.
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Pour and double strain into prepared glass, garnish with lemon peel.
