Stinger Cocktail Recipe
Cognac and white crème de menthe over crushed ice — cold, clean and unapologetically minty.
- Category: The Unforgettables
- Glass: Old fashioned glass
- ABV: 28%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Cognac50 ml (1.7 oz)
- White crème de menthe20 ml (0.7 oz)
How to Make It
- Shake both ingredients with ice.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
Garnish
Mint sprig
What it tastes like
The sweetness is pronounced and mint leaves a cooling finish.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A heavy-bottomed, wide old fashioned glass. Wide enough for one large cube, which is the point: a big cube has less surface area, so the drink gets cold without getting watery.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Cognac
- Brandy distilled from grapes in the Cognac region of France. VS is young and lively, VSOP rounder; in a cocktail VS is plenty, since VSOP's finesse disappears in the mix.
The Story
A New York society drink from the turn of the twentieth century, taken as a nightcap for the same reason people once took mints.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Stinger mixed?
- It is shaken and served in an old fashioned glass.
- How strong is a Stinger?
- Roughly 28% ABV as served — a spirit-strength drink — sipped slowly, and it wants a glass of water beside it.
- Can a Stinger be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Stinger hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
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Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.