Pegu Club
Ingredients
- Gin 1 1/2 oz
- Orange Curacao 3/4 oz
- Lime juice 3/4 oz
- Angostura Bitters 1 dash
- Orange bitters 1 dash
Instructions
Shake, strain, up, cocktail glass
The Pegu Club is a refined, spirit-forward cocktail combining gin, orange Curaçao, lime juice, and both Angostura and orange bitters, served up in a chilled cocktail glass. An IBA New Era drink, it is noted for its complex layering of citrus and bitter notes over a dry gin backbone. It was once considered one of the world's finest cocktails and has experienced a major revival in the craft cocktail era.
History & Origins
The Pegu Club was the signature cocktail of the Pegu Club, a British officers' social club established in Rangoon (now Yangon), Burma, in the 19th century. The recipe was brought to wider international attention when it appeared in Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930). Named after the Pegu River, it became synonymous with the elegance of colonial club culture and is now celebrated as a precursor to the modern cocktail renaissance.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: Dry gin botanicals, fresh lime, and a warm orange peel note from the Curaçao, with the aromatic complexity of two types of bitters. Palate: Crisp and dry with juniper and citrus peel leading, the orange Curaçao adding a bittersweet depth, lime juice providing bright acidity, and the dual bitters contributing layers of spice and herbal complexity. Finish: Long, dry, and bittersweet with a botanical and citrus echo.
Pro Tip
Use a premium orange Curaçao rather than triple sec for greater depth and complexity, and serve in a pre-chilled cocktail glass to keep this delicate drink at its optimal temperature.
Techniques Used
Embed on your site — CocktailFYI
Add the widget to any webpage using a script tag.
<div data-cocktailfyi="recipe" data-slug="pegu-club"></div>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/cocktailfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>Embed using a standard iframe — works in any CMS.
<iframe src="https://cocktailfyi.com/iframe/recipe/pegu-club/" width="100%" height="480" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="CocktailFYI recipe widget"></iframe>Paste the URL into WordPress, Medium, or any oEmbed-aware editor.
https://cocktailfyi.com/recipes/pegu-club/Add a badge linking back to CocktailFYI.
<a href="https://cocktailfyi.com/recipes/pegu-club/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">
<img src="https://cocktailfyi.com/badge/site.svg" alt="CocktailFYI" height="20">
</a>
Use the CocktailFYI WordPress plugin shortcode.
[drinkfyi-recipe site="cocktailfyi" slug="pegu-club"]Use as a native HTML custom element in modern browsers.
<cocktailfyi-recipe slug="pegu-club" theme="light"></cocktailfyi-recipe>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/cocktailfyi-embed@1/dist/embed.min.js" defer></script>Powered by CocktailFYI
Docs →