Juniper, bitter almond and a clear caraway note, softened by a silky egg white head. It is an unusual combination, and a good reason to hunt down a bottle of kümmel.
1¾ oz
London dry gine.g. Tanqueray · Gordon's · Beefeater · Bombay Sapphire · Sipsmith
½ oz
crème de noyauxe.g. Tempus Fugit · Bols · Hiram Walker
½ oz
kümmele.g. Wolfschmidt · Mentzendorff · Helbing
½ oz
lemon juice freshly squeezed
½ oz
egg white about half an egg white
1 drop
vegetable food colouring as in the original, optional (optional)
Garnish: None · Ice: Served up, no ice
Royal Arrival
Dry and aromatic with juniper, marzipan-like almond and caraway, a fresh lemon edge and a silky texture. Medium strength.
The Royal Arrival is credited to Joe Gilmore, the long-serving head bartender of the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London, who was known for creating drinks to mark special occasions, including royal events. According to the usual account, he made this one to celebrate the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960, and the original recipe called for a drop of vegetable colouring to tint the drink.
The ingredients reflect the back bar of a grand London hotel of the time: gin, the almond-flavoured liqueur crème de noyaux and kümmel, a caraway and cumin liqueur popular in northern Europe and in British clubs. Today the drink is a rarity, mixed mostly by bartenders interested in Savoy history.
It is credited to Joe Gilmore, the head bartender of the American Bar at the Savoy in London.
A clear liqueur flavoured mainly with caraway, often with cumin and fennel, traditionally made in northern Europe.
Amaretto works as a substitute, but reduce it slightly as it is sweeter.
The perfect sound
A grand entrance worthy of a royal court.
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