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Classic martini glass filled with the Charlie Chaplin drink - square
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Charlie Chaplin Cocktail

Made with sloe gin, apricot brandy, and fresh lime, this refreshing Charlie Chaplin cocktail is a must-try. It’s as vibrant in flavor as it is in color, so it guarantees to please both the palate and the eyes!
Course Cocktail
Cuisine American
Keyword charlie chaplin cocktail, red cocktail, sloe gin cocktail
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 2 cocktails
Calories 240kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces sloe gin
  • 3 ounces apricot brandy
  • 3 ounces lime juice (freshly squeezed)

Garnish

  • 2 lime twists

Instructions

  • Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Get a measuring glass and glassware.
  • Add sloe gin, apricot brandy, and lime juice.
    3 ounces sloe gin, 3 ounces apricot brandy, 3 ounces lime juice
  • Cap shaker and shake for at least 30 seconds to get the ice to break up and dilute the drink somewhat. (See notes below.)
  • Strain and divide the cocktail between the two glasses.
  • Add a lime twist to each glass.
    2 lime twists
  • Sip
  • Smile
  • Enjoy

Notes

Helpful tips
  • There are different brands of sloe gin. I recommend Leroux if you're budget conscious. As soon as I need another bottle, I want to try the more expensive Plymouth brand or Hayman's.
  • I've seen this cocktail made with either lemon juice or, the way I prefer it, with lime juice. Try it my way first and then switch it up to see which you like better.
  • If you can't find true apricot brandy in your local liquor store, you may be looking for it in the wrong place. I've found it both in the brandy section and also where you would find schnapps, other flavored brandies, and triple sec. Sometimes you will see it listed as apricot liqueur.
  • Wash your limes before cutting into them. Here's how: Use an unscented natural soap. I buy mine as Whole Foods. Squirt some in your hands and rub the soap on the skin of the citrus. Then use a vegetable brush and scrub the skin. Rinse the fruit with cold water, making sure all the soap has been removed.
  • I like to garnish this cocktail with thin lime twists. I use my channeling knife. If you don't have one, you can use a paring knife and cut as thin a strip as you can.
  • Here's how to use a channeling knife: take the washed fruit in your non-dominant hand. With the channeling knife in your dominant hand, press the knife to the lime skin. Bear down and move the knife around the circumference of the fruit. For this cocktail I tried to get as long a twist as I could, which meant going around the lime more than once. Try not to bear down too hard so you get a lot of the pith (white part).
  • I recommend a dilution to this cocktail because of how syrupy sloe gin is. Here's how: Shake the cocktail shaker longer than usual. I recommend shaking vigorously for at least 30 seconds, which will micro-chip and melt the ice somewhat.
  • For most of my martini-style drinks, I place the glassware in the freezer at least 10 minutes before starting the cocktail. That's because I like a well-chilled cocktail glass from which to enjoy my creation.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cocktail | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 21IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg