20th Century Cocktail Recipe

Before you start

The 20th Century is an unexpected combination that works: gin, an aromatized wine such as Lillet Blanc, white crème de cacao and lemon juice. It does not taste like a chocolate drink. The cacao liqueur adds a soft cocoa note in the finish and some sweetness, while the lemon and gin keep it crisp, and the Lillet brings honeyed fruit.

The crucial choice is the crème de cacao. Use white (clear) cacao, not dark, which colors the drink and tastes heavier. Brands range from artificial and sugary to genuinely chocolatey and balanced, so quality matters more here than in most recipes. The spec below is on the dry side; if your cacao is lean, the drink may need a few milliliters more of it. Shake hard and serve it very cold.

Ingredients

• 45 ml (1½ oz) London dry gin
• 22 ml (¾ oz) Lillet Blanc — or Cocchi Americano; refrigerate after opening
• 15 ml (½ oz) white crème de cacao
• 22 ml (¾ oz) fresh lemon juice — strained
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes — for shaking
• 1 strip lemon peel — for garnish

Method

1. Chill a coupe or Nick & Nora glass.
2. Measure the gin, Lillet Blanc, white crème de cacao and lemon juice into a shaker.
3. Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds, until the tin is frosted.
4. Double-strain into the chilled glass. The drink should be pale and lightly hazy.
5. Express the lemon peel over the drink, rub it around the rim, and drop it in or discard it.

Tips for success

• Taste the crème de cacao on its own before using it. If it tastes like artificial chocolate, the drink will too.
• The cocoa note shows best when the drink is very cold, so chill the glass well and serve straight away.
• Keep Lillet in the fridge; it oxidizes after opening and turns dull and sour within a few weeks at room temperature.

Substitutions

Lillet Blanc

Cocchi Americano adds a light quinine bitterness and a firmer finish. Blanc vermouth makes it more herbal and slightly sweeter.

White crème de cacao

Dark crème de cacao works in flavor but turns the drink brown and heavier. Use 10 ml if you swap.

Gin

A citrus-forward gin keeps the drink bright. A heavier, earthy gin pushes it toward a dessert profile.

Variations

21st Century

Swap the gin for blanco tequila and leave out the Lillet: shake 45 ml tequila, 22 ml white crème de cacao and 22 ml lemon, and rinse the glass with absinthe.

Troubleshooting

It tastes like chocolate milk

Too much cacao or a very sweet brand. Cut the cacao to 10 ml and check that the lemon is fresh.

The cocoa note is missing

Your cacao may be lean in flavor, or the drink warmed up. Increase the cacao to 18 ml and serve colder.

It tastes sour and thin

The Lillet may be oxidized. Open a fresh bottle and store it in the refrigerator.

Storage

Serve immediately. Store opened Lillet Blanc in the refrigerator and use it within about a month. Crème de cacao and gin keep at room temperature.

Safety notes

One cocktail is about 1.4 U.S. standard drinks (a standard drink is roughly 14 g of alcohol). Serve to adults of legal drinking age only, and never drink and drive.