We love a cocktail tailored to a specific occasion, and it doesn't get much more specific than this once-every-1461-days tipple, created by cocktail legend Harry Craddock for the London Savoy's leap year celebrations in 1928.
A classic combination of gin, lemon, Grand Marnier, and Italian vermouth, The Leap Year's appearance in the 1930 Savoy's Cocktail Book was accompanied by a note stating that it was said to be responsible for more marriage proposals than any other cocktail ever mixed.
So while we definitely recommend taking advantage of the rare opportunity to indulge in a Leap Year Cocktail on the day for which it was created, drink responsibly and consider consider yourself warned of its potent effects!
THE LEAP YEAR COCKTAIL RECIPE
Here is the recipe as it appeared in the 1930 Cocktail bible, Savoy's Cocktail book
- 1 dash lemon juice
- 2/3 gin
- 1/6 Grand Marnier
- 1/6 Italian Vermouth
- shake well and serve in a cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon on top
- 1 dash of lemon juice
- 60ml Downpour Scottish Dry or Downpour Coast and Croft
- 15ml Grand Marnier, or any other favourite orange liqueur
- 15ml red Vermouth
- shake well in cocktail shaker with plenty of ice, strain into a cocktail glass and add an extra squeeze of lemon.
- fire up that 1920s playlist, close your eyes, and pretend you're at the Savoy in the OG roaring twenties
