Here’s a classic cocktail from the storied pages of Harry Craddock’s swanky Savoy Cocktail book, 1930. It’s a simple recipe combining gin, apricot brandy and orange juice. Most modern recipes recommend the addition of some orange bitters as well. There are a few key rules to follow for a cocktail like this with just a few select ingredients. For the orange juice, fresh squeezed will make all the difference in the world. But the apricot brandy is what will define the drink, and using something too sweet will likely throw off the balance.

The drink also has modern vibes and a Guinness world record. Although the rapper Snoop Dogg admits that his famous “gin and juice” was originally a simpler combination of those two ingredients, when he made the world’s largest gin and juice in 2018, he added apricot brandy. Of course, like many old cocktails, the recipe can get corrupted over time, and I had been using a version that called for apricot liqueur, before I did my research properly. I also used grapefruit juice since I didn’t have orange handy. Ultimately I may have been just shy of paradise, but I don’t think I crapped out. I’m just going to roll with it. Cheers!

Paradise by Harry Craddock c. 1930, adapted by D. Wondrich

2 oz gin

1 ½ oz apricot brandy

1 oz orange

½ oz lemon

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Serve straight up (or with a lemon wheel die)