Wednesday, December 5, 2018

The Netherland Cocktail

Netherland Cocktail

A brandy-based classic with orange liqueur

December is here, so winter holidays are nigh. Send in the oranges! Better yet, pour the orange liqueur.

The Netherland Cocktail overflows with seasonal cheer. And its base spirit is brandy, which excels at warding off winter’s chill.

It’s a nice cocktail, indeed. But you may want to be naughty and have more than one.



Netherland Cocktail

Recipe: The Netherland Cocktail

The Netherland Cocktail was created as the house drink for the New Netherland hotel, which opened in New York City (59th Street and Park Avenue) during the 1890s. In 1927, it was replaced (on the same site) by the Sherry-Netherland Hotel.

We learned about this drink from reading cocktail historian extraordinaire David Wondrich. We have slightly adapted his recipe.

This drink takes about 5 minutes to prepare and serves 1.

Ingredients
  • 2 ounces brandy or cognac
  • ½ ounce Grand Marnier (or to taste; see Notes)
  • 1 to 2 dashes orange bitters (to taste)
  • twist of orange peel for garnish (optional)
Procedure
  1. Place all ingredients (except garnish) in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice. Stir (or shake – see Notes) until well chilled (20 to 30 seconds).
  2. Strain into a cocktail glass, preferably one that has been chilled. Garnish with an orange twist, if you wish, and serve.
Netherland Cocktail

Notes
  • This drink also tastes great served over ice in a rocks (Old-Fashioned) glass.
  • Stir or shake? The “rule” says stir, because all the ingredients in this cocktail are clear (shaking introduces oxygen bubbles, which can temporarily cloud the drink). But we shake anyway – it’s easier.
  • Cognac is a type of brandy made in the Cognac region of France. Several good brands are available. Ask your friendly liquor store salesman for a recommendation.
  • Or just use domestic brandy, as we do. It’s cheaper than cognac and works fine in cocktails.
  • Grand Marnier is an orange-flavored liqueur of the curaçao type. (The other style of orange liqueur is triple sec – an example is Cointreau). The flavors of the two liqueur types are somewhat similar, but curaçao is much sweeter. So you generally cannot substitute one for the other. 
  • Grand Marnier is a premium curaçao, and it’s a bit pricey. If you want to use something less expensive, try a generic orange curaçao. If you go this route, definitely ask your liquor store for a recommendation – the inexpensive brands of orange curaçao can sometimes be very sweet and cloying.
  • Speaking of sweet, you may want to adjust the amount of Grand Marnier (or orange curaçao) you use in this drink. 
  • David Wondrich recommends 2/3 ounce, though we find that a bit too sweet. But Wondrich also prefers serving this cocktail as an after-dinner drink. If you’re serving it that way, sweeter may be preferable.
  • The best orange bitters we’ve tasted are the Regans’ and the Angostura brands. Orange bitters can sometimes be difficult to find, but a good liquor store will carry them. Or you can order them online.
Netherland Cocktail

Nether Neverland

“Good drink,” said Mrs. Kitchen Riffs. “Though the name always reminds me of Peter Pan.”

“Well I never!” I said.

“That will never do,” said Mrs K R.

“And that will never fly,” I said.

“Never say never,” said Mrs K R. “Speaking of which, shall we have another of these beauties?”

“We better,” I said. “Or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

You may also enjoy reading about:
Algonquin Cocktail
Boulevardier Cocktail
Classic Champagne Cocktail
Cosmopolitan Cocktail
Dubonnet Cocktail
Sherry Cobbler Cocktail
Tuxedo Cocktail
Cocktail Basics
Or check out the index for more

70 comments:

Terry / Blue Kitchen said...

Unlike Mrs. Kitchen Riffs, I went straight to the Sherry-Netherland Hotel in my head when I saw the name, even though I didn't know the drink's origin. We tend to steer away from sweet cocktails—would substituting triple sec possibly work?

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Terry, you could certainly give triple sec a try. Grand Mariner is definitely sweeter, but it also has a brandy base, so that cuts the sweetness some. But let me know how the triple sec turns out! Thanks for the comment.

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Lovely winter cocktail with the warmth of brandy! Love the addition of Grand Mariner as well! Perfect to sip on during the holiday season.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Liz, it's really a nice drink. Very sippable. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Evelyne CulturEatz said...

You better beleive I will be naughty and have several lol. Love oranges flavors in drinks, this one looks exceptional for me!

Pam said...

It looks pretty and delicious!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Evelyne, this is an easy cocktail to be naughty with. For. Whatever. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pam, it is! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Mae Travels said...

My free association: Curaçao-Dutch Antilles-Netherlands Cocktail. Not even close.

The store where we used to buy liquor (anything more alcoholic than sherry) has gradually turned itself into a bar and lunch place. It now sells only a minor selection of wines and beers. We need to find out who sells cognac, liqueurs, etc!

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Mae, curaçao did indeed originate in the Dutch Antilles, and New York, and the Dutch originally colonized New York, so your free association isn't that far off. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Tricia @ Saving Room for Dessert said...

Lovely cocktail and no doubt one I would adore. A must try for these cold winter days :) (even though it's not winter yet)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Tricia, not technically winter, but we've been getting snow! Thanks for the comment.

Chava Stark said...

Hello! I just stumbled across your blog and I have to say that first, that cocktail looks really interesting. I'm always trying to find new cocktails to try, especially since here in Utah getting a cocktail can be quite expensive. I like my cocktails fairly simple, and this is a good representation of the upper limits of my complexity tolerance...:)

Second, I am very impressed by how lovely all your photography is! I am not very skilled with taking photos of cocktails. It's surprisingly complicated in my point of view, although perhaps I'm just really missing some trick. In any case, I'll be a new subscriber! Looking forward to new recipes.

Cheers,
Chava

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Chava, welcome! This is a good drink -- really worth trying. And photographing cocktails is hard, or at least I find it so. Remember, you're photographing the glass; the contents; and the garnish. And not necessarily in that order. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Healthy World Cuisine said...

A perfect cocktail to snuggle by the warm crackling fire... Wishing you and Mrs. Riff a super holiday season.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Bobbi, a warming cocktail by a warming fire. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Gerlinde de Broekert said...

Yummy, the perfect cocktail for me. Maybe I will loosen up my book club with these cocktails next week.

Abbe@This is How i Cook said...

Count me in the naughty group. This sounds like a very warming cocktail for a cold winter's night!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Gerlinde, sounds like it'll be a fun book club. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Abbe, we're definitely in the naughty group. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Dahn @savorthebest said...

Sometimes you just gotta break the rules and give it a shake!!

Angie's Recipes said...

So very pretty and perfect for the holiday season!

Lydia from Lydia's Flexitarian Kitchen said...

This sounds right up our alley. My husband is fond of cognac. I'm sure he will like it. Thanks!

Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen said...

This sounds like the perfect cocktail to enjoy by a fire during the winter. I'm going to have to try it this weekend, as our weather looks pretty grey for the next few days :)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Dahn, that's us -- rule breakers. And shakers and movers. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Angie, and really, really good. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Lydia, since your husband likes cognac, he'll definitely like this drink. It's a good one. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Kelsie it's grey here, too -- time to break out the cocktail shaker! :-) Thanks for the comment.

GiGi Eats said...

Landon is always so proud of all the alcohol and mixers he has, so I am thinking he has everything to make this ;)

Anonymous said...

Grand Marnier is my after dinner drink of choice so I know this is definitely a cocktail to try. My thoughts went directly to the Sherry-Netherland hotel, as the last time I visited NYC, that is where I stayed. It is an apartment hotel, so rooms are individually owned and decorated differently. Karen (Back Road Journal)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi GiGi, I'll bet he does have all the ingredients. He should make one. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Karen, I've walked past the Sherry-Netherland hotel dozens of times (I used to work a ten minute walk from it), and it's a neat building. Never been inside, though. Looks really nice from the outside! Thanks for the comment.

Denise Browning said...

So blondy and beautiful! Cheers!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Denise, it IS blondy, isn't it? :-) Thanks for the comment.

Juliana said...

This is such a nice cocktail for the season...deep and soothing...I love the sweetness of Grand Marnier...thanks for the recipe John.
Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Juliana, soothing is always good! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Fran @ Gday Souffle said...

Yum, looks like orange juice but I'd better be careful and not quaff this cocktail down. We've got Cointreau in our usual stock of booze so this cocktail is raring to go!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Fran, this drink does have a bit of a kick to it, so it's a sipper, not a gulper. :-) Thanks for the comment.

handmade by amalia said...

Yum. Perfect for the season.
Amalia
xo

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Amalia, definitely yummy! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Sippity Sup said...

When it comes to a sophisticated tipple like this I try to remind myself that if one cocktail is perfect. And two is naughty. Then three is downright stupid. Of course it's the holidays so maybe we should all be naughty and maybe even a little stupid! I know I will. GREG

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Greg, well said. No wonder Mrs KR's nickname for me is stupid! :D Thanks for the comment.

Frank | Memorie di Angelina said...

This sounds delicious! May try a tipple tonight, by the fire...

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Frank, enjoy! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Cocoa and Lavender said...

Ahhh... to me this is the winter-sit-by-the-fire version of a sidecar. Time to restock the brandy and Grand Mariner. Thanks for this, John - wishing you and Mrs. KR a happy start to the holiday season!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi David, if you like sidecars (one of our favorites), you'll like this, I'll bet. Really tasty. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Jeff the Chef said...

I love both Cognac and Grand Marnier, but have never had them together. Sounds delicious!

Food Gal said...

I love that taste of bitter orange in cocktails. So much so that if I spot any drink with that characteristic on a menu, I will absolutely order it. Happy holidays!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Jeff, Grand Marnier actually has a brandy base, so you HAVE had them together. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Carolyn, orange in any guise is wonderful in cocktails. Heck, citrus in general is good. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Valentina said...

I was curious so I looked up the Sherry-Netherland Hotel. It's so beautiful! And so cool to know the history of the cocktail. One of them would probably be perfect for me, but it sounds so delicious that I might just be naughty.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Valentina, it's a neat hotel. We know it only from the outside -- love its location in NYC! And yes, you probably want to be naughty with this one. :-) Thanks for the comment.

lisa is cooking said...

I'm willing to be on the naughty list if it means I get a couple of these cocktails! Orange liqueur and brandy sound lovely for chilly weather.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Lisa, being naughty has never been so rewarding! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Merryn@merrynsmenu said...

Who can stop at one cocktail? Unless you're out with people and need to behave (or to impress them) and let's face it, the older you get, the less you are. What a beautiful cocktail, it looks so pretty and yet another one to put on the 'must do list'. Thank YOU Merryn :D

sherry said...

love your photos. and love the sound of this citrus-y drink. cheers!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Merryn, alas, even when I'm trying to impress people, it never works. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Sherry, cheers! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Emma @ Bake Then Eat said...

What a wonderful winter warmer, perfect for the festive season.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Emma, this drink has terrific festive flavor. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Laura Dembowski said...

There are few things better than Grand Marnier. I know it would be great in this cocktail. I love the color of it!

Pam said...

It looks and sounds great, John! A nice drink for this time of year and I would probably be naughty! Thanks for sharing!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Laura, this has a neat color, doesn't it? And fab flavor. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Pam, it's hard not to be naughty, isn't it? :-) Thanks for the comment.

Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness said...

Sounds like a wonderful cocktail for the holidays. Love your pictures, as always.

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Dawn, this drink really does seem particularly appropriate at this time of the year. Although I'd be happy to drink it any time! :-) Thanks for the comment.

Katerina Delidimou said...

What a lovely citrus flavored drink! perfect for the upcoming festivities!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Katerina, isn't this nice? And so ideal for the season. :-) Thanks for the comment.

Debra Eliotseats said...

Guess what I got in my stocking? Orange bitters (and bourbon cherries) for the perfect Old Fashion. Guess I will try those holiday bitters out for this cocktail. Thanks!

Kitchen Riffs said...

Hi Debra, orange bitters are GREAT! :-) Thanks for the comment.