the Gin is IN

Here’s a particularly contentious drink, where little consensus seems to exist as to what is the ideal recipe. So here we are to add a little bit of clarity, or a little bit of confusion to what is perhaps one of the most crowd-pleasing gin drinks of the late nineteenth century.

First, for a brief history: the Pegu Club Cocktail comes straight of Victorian era-colonialism. The Pegu Club was a famous cocktail bar in Yangon, Myanmar (formerly, Rangoon, Burma) where foreign officials and elites gathered to drink in a then-fashionable gentleman’s club. During this time, the Pegu Club cocktail became the signature drink of the club.

Geography Nerd Question: anyone know what the Pegu is? Answer below the rest of the cocktail talk.

Lack of Consensus

Even the most basic of ingredients are up for debate in this cocktail. Aside from the volume of gin ranging from 1.5 oz to 3 oz, the kind of orange liqueur is also up for debate.  3 of the sources go for the “more orange” cointreau, but two other elect for the more mild orange curacao. (You could probably could substitute w/ Triple sec if you would like, but I would recommend against it because in any case, there’s enough of it in here that you will be able to tell if you cheap out. A splash it is not).

Every recipe recommends an aromatic bitters. The Bitter Truth opts for their own aromatic bitters, which I find to be a delicious alternative to Angoustra bitters. In either case, bitters are essential. As for the orange bitters, both of the recipes that opted for Curacao over Cointreau suggested adding a second type of bitters. In either case, it will enhance the orange flavor of the drink.

The lime juice is all over the place. Anywhere from a splash to a full ounce. The balance of the lime and orange is key in this cocktail, so although I prefer more lime, it seems there’s a lot of flexibility in this area. In any case, fresh lime is absolutely imperative.

One of the most interesting variations is the Pegu Blog’s suggestion of adding egg white. The egg white variation I’ve seen in many old cocktails such as making a frothier Negroni. It definitely makes for a more substantial feeling beverage, but I don’t know if I would go so far as to call it essential. It’s an intriguing variation.

A consensus emerges?

I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a consensus, but let me take a stab at suggesting what I think an ideal Pegu Club cocktail may look like.

3 oz. gin: you’re adding a lot of other ingredients to it. So don’t skimp here. The quickest way to make an unbalanced Pegu Club cocktail is to shift the balance towards the Cointreau and away from gin.
Gin Suggestions: Bluecocat Gin, Plymouth Gin

1 oz Cointreau: I prefer Cointreau, but I suppose Curacao could work well here. The Cointreau will overwhelm if you go any lower than 3:1.

.75 oz. Lime Juice: always fresh, avoid pre-sweetened here.

2 dashes of aromatic bitters; 2 dashes of orange bitters: this makes for a nice balance I feel.  The orange compliments, while the aromatic keeps it from tasting too much like orange.

Final Thoughts

although a complex, and indecisive cocktail, the Pegu Club cocktail holds a lot of potential for experimentation, and enough depth to reward those who play with the recipe a little bit. Cheers!

Source #1: “The Gin Universe” by FooBooz
Source #2: David Wondrich, via Esquire
Source #3: The Bitter Truth
Source #4a & 4b: The Pegu Blog
Source #5: Wichita Falls’ Crave

Geography Nerd answer: The Pegu is actually a range of mountains located in Myanmar, where the Pegu river’s headwaters are located.