Directions
Horse’s Neck cocktail is a historic drink, a concentrate of unique elegance and freshness, which you can easily make at home and with only two ingredients: cognac and ginger beer. Usually, two drops of Angostura bitter are added to give an elegant and herbaceous touch, but try it even without it, as the original recipe foresees. You can always add bitters later.
The beauty of the Horse’s Neck cocktail lies in the delicious flavor and the presentation, which is characterized by a long lemon peel, thinly sliced and placed in the glass with ice. Do not underestimate the aesthetics of this cocktail since the peel is essential: it is a clear reference to the horse’s mane, hence the name of the drink.
The classic recipe for Horses Neck cocktail includes cognac, the legendary wine distillate produced in the French region of the same name, but you can also use brandy, which is less rich but easier to find.
Who invented the Horse’s Neck cocktail?
There are no reliable sources about it, the most accredited theory is that it was made for the first time at a racecourse bar, but nothing more is known.
The function of this legendary cocktail is that of an aperitif. Its alcohol content is not very high: 4 cl of cognac are acceptable before dinner and also, as a sensation of heat on the palate, it is never aggressive. But be careful. It is a very drinkable cocktail. The ginger beer tickles and hides the roughness of the alcohol, so it goes down that it is a pleasure.
Ingredients and doses to make the Horse’s Neck cocktail
- 4 cl of cognac or brandy
- 12 cl of ginger beer
- spiral of lemon peel cut long and thin
- 3 drops of Angostura, optional but highly recommended
How to make the Horse’s Neck cocktail
Wash and brush an organic, untreated lemon, then cut a lemon peel spiral using a citrus peel. If it is too large, cut it with a sharp knife.
Put some ice in a tall tumbler glass, place the lemon peel inside, pour the cognac, add the ginger beer, and let 2-3 drops of Angostura fall into it. Easy to do, but once you try it, you’ll love it.
