Ingredients
- .75 ounce Brandy
- .75 oz Apple Liqueur
- .75 oz Triple Sec
- .75 oz Lemon Juice
Instructions
Shake and Chill:
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine 0.75 oz brandy, 0.75 oz apple liqueur, 0.75 oz triple sec, and 0.75 oz lemon juice. Shake vigorously until the mixture is well chilled.
Strain and Serve:
- Strain the mixture into a chilled cocktail glass.
Serve Immediately:
- Serve right away and enjoy the refined, fruity flavors of the Deauville Cocktail.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Deauville is a 1920s French cocktail named for the Normandy seaside town of Deauville, the kind of resort that drew Parisian high society between the wars. The drink first appeared in Harry MacElhone's ABC of Mixing Cocktails in 1922 and stayed on Riviera-bar menus through the 1930s.
It sits in the brandy-sour family with the Sidecar, the Between the Sheets and the Jack Rose. All four lean on brandy as the spirit base and use citrus and a sweetener for balance. The Deauville picks apple liqueur as the second flavour, which is what makes it Norman: the apple references Calvados country.
Best ordered as an aperitif before dinner or as a small evening sipper. The cocktail is small in volume and big on flavour. Not a long-pour summer drink and not a brunch cocktail.
What it tastes like
Brandy warmth up front, apple sweetness in the middle, lemon brightness and triple sec orange on the finish. The four ingredients in equal pours create a balanced sour with a fruit edge that distinguishes it from the more austere Sidecar.
Around 25 percent ABV in the glass once shaken with ice. Three ounces of finished cocktail, balanced toward the sour-and-tart end of the brandy-sour spectrum. A real one-and-a-half standard drinks per glass.
The technique
Combine three-quarters of an ounce each of brandy, apple liqueur, triple sec and fresh lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for ten seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Use Cognac VS or VSOP for the brandy, Calvados for an authentic apple-and-Norman match, and Cointreau or Combier for the triple sec. Fresh lemon juice is non-negotiable; the cocktail collapses on bottled juice.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The brandy
- Use
- Cognac VS or VSOP, ideally Hennessy or Remy Martin.
- Skip
- Flavoured brandy or grape brandy. The wood notes are what carry the cocktail.
- Why
- Cognac is what the original recipe specifies, but any aged grape brandy works. The wood and the grape character are the load-bearing flavour. A young brandy without wood ageing pulls the cocktail toward a fruit-forward sour and away from the original.
The apple liqueur
- Use
- Calvados (apple brandy), or a French apple liqueur like Manzana Verde.
- Skip
- Sour apple schnapps. Wrong flavour profile.
- Why
- The apple liqueur is what makes the Deauville a Deauville. The Norman apple reference ties the cocktail to its namesake town. Calvados is the most authentic; a French apple liqueur is the modern stand-in.
The triple sec
- Use
- Cointreau, Combier, or Bols Triple Sec.
- Skip
- Cheap orange syrup. Loses the alcohol weight.
- Why
- The triple sec carries the orange brightener that lifts the apple and the lemon. Without it the cocktail is just brandy, apple and lemon, which collapses toward an apple sour.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
The standard build
- Deauville, shaken and up
- Equal three-quarter-ounce pours of brandy, apple liqueur, triple sec and lemon juice, shaken with ice and strained up.
The Calvados build
- Deauville, with Calvados
- Replace the apple liqueur with proper Calvados. Adds depth and a Norman-orchard character; pulls the cocktail toward a more spirit-forward profile.
The on-the-rocks build
- Deauville, on the rocks
- Same build, served over a single big ice cube in a rocks glass. Drinks slower and reads slightly more diluted as the ice melts.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Bourbon or rye. The cocktail loses its French character; gains an American whiskey-sour profile. A balanced trade.
Apple schnapps with a teaspoon of brandy added to the build. Loses the alcohol weight; keeps the apple flavour.
Grand Marnier or any orange-flavoured brandy. Adds depth and a slightly sweeter finish.
Bottled lemon juice with a small drop of orange bitters. The cocktail loses its brightness; the bitters add a small lift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is in a Deauville cocktail?
Three-quarters of an ounce each of brandy, apple liqueur, triple sec and fresh lemon juice, shaken with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.
How strong is a Deauville?
Around 25 percent ABV in the glass once shaken with ice. Three ounces of finished cocktail, balanced toward the sour-and-tart end of the brandy-sour spectrum.
What does a Deauville taste like?
Brandy warmth up front, apple sweetness in the middle, lemon brightness and triple sec orange on the finish. A balanced sour with a fruit edge.
Why is it called the Deauville?
Named for the Norman seaside town of Deauville, France, the kind of resort that drew Parisian high society between the wars. The drink first appeared in Harry MacElhone's 1922 ABC of Mixing Cocktails.
Should I use Cognac or Calvados?
Cognac is the standard for the brandy slot; Calvados can replace the apple liqueur or supplement the Cognac. The most authentic Deauville uses Cognac plus Calvados, both from France, both from the same wine-and-apple terroir.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Fresh is non-negotiable. The cocktail is built on the brightness of fresh lemon, and bottled juice drops the cocktail toward a flat sour. If you have to use bottled, add a few drops of orange bitters to help.
What kind of glass should I serve it in?
A chilled cocktail glass or a small coupe. The cocktail is around three ounces of finished drink and fits comfortably in either.
How does it compare to a Sidecar?
Same family, different fruit. The Sidecar is brandy plus triple sec plus lemon, three ingredients only. The Deauville adds apple liqueur, which gives the cocktail its French Norman character.
Can I batch it for a party?
Combine the four ingredients in equal measure in a chilled bottle. Refrigerate. Shake portions with ice as you serve, since the cocktail loses its texture if you shake the whole batch and let it sit.
What other cocktails are similar?
A Sidecar, a Between the Sheets, a Jack Rose and a Calvados Sour. All four use brandy or apple brandy with citrus and a sweetener.
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