The Express Cocktail isn’t that well-known. In fact, in my search of it, I can only find it described in a few places, such as at drinkgal‘s site, as well as the cocktaildb. Drinkgal says that it’s similar to a Rob Roy but with a greater proportion of sweet vermouth, but we can’t forget that this one uses a dash of orange bitters rather than the Rob Roy’s Angostura bitters. I’m not a fan of the Rob Roy (see my earlier post about the dangers of Chivas Regal), but I am a fan of sweet vermouth, so I had to try this one.
To make an Express Cocktail, mix together with ice:
- 3/4 oz Scotch (Tullibardine single malt)
- 3/4 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)
- dash of orange bitters
and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. As you can see, these proportions are small, but they can be easily adjusted. It’s actually one of the things I like about Trader Vic’s
I like this drink a lot, so much better than the Rob Roy, in fact, that I don’t understand that drink’s popularity. This Express Cocktail version is worth drinking, and it’s so easy to make that everyone should try it at home. A good blended scotch will work perfectly fine, of course, and Martini and Rossi or any other sweet vermouth will do the trick, too, but this single malt/Antica formula is oh so good.
Your bartender will look at you funny if you order an Express Cocktail, because he or she has probably never heard of it, so just make it at home. That’s the point, anyway.