Uploaded October 2014 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The Japalac or Jap-a-lac is a little known, vintage, prohibition-era cocktail that has been given a resurrection after being featured in Ted Haigh's book, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. A great source of inspiration and brief history of some delicious, lesser-known drinks.
The first thing I thought of when I saw the ingredients for this one was that the OJ was going to seriously overpower this drink. However, it remains totally balanced for being such a spirit-forward cocktail. The size of it is such that it could be served in a smaller glass. However, it's easy to forget about the proportions in light of how flavorful and exciting the drink is.
It's important to use a great Rye and Vermouth. As usual, you can try to sub in other whiskeys, but you'll find that Rye works the best. I'm partial to Dolin for the Dry Vermouth and with the Vermouth being so prominent in this drink, you're going to want to use a quality Vermouth.
As always, don't mess around the Orange Juice. It makes a world of difference when you use fresh squeezed. The best store-bought OJ you can find is no comparison. I'm always in favor finding uses for Raspberry Syrup and this drink delivers the goods. As I've emphasized before, the balance of this drink is so crucial, so you can't get away with free-pours on this one. But it's worth it. You'll taste the difference. The next time you're applying a little coat of varnish to your mind, give the Japalac a try. Cheers!
Recipe:
0.75 oz Rye
0.75 oz Dry Vermouth
0.33 oz Orange Juice
1 tsp Raspberry Syrup
Combine in a shaker and shake with ice.
Double strain into chilled Coupe Glass.
Garish with Orange Twist.
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Featured in This Episode
Rittenhouse Rye
facebook.com/pages/Rittenhouse-Rye/118250084919066
heavenhill.com/brand/23
Dolin
http://www.dolin.fr/gb/index.html
The Japalac or Jap-a-lac is a little known, vintage, prohibition-era cocktail that has been given a resurrection after being featured in Ted Haigh's book, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. A great source of inspiration and brief history of some delicious, lesser-known drinks.
The first thing I thought of when I saw the ingredients for this one was that the OJ was going to seriously overpower this drink. However, it remains totally balanced for being such a spirit-forward cocktail. The size of it is such that it could be served in a smaller glass. However, it's easy to forget about the proportions in light of how flavorful and exciting the drink is.
It's important to use a great Rye and Vermouth. As usual, you can try to sub in other whiskeys, but you'll find that Rye works the best. I'm partial to Dolin for the Dry Vermouth and with the Vermouth being so prominent in this drink, you're going to want to use a quality Vermouth.
As always, don't mess around the Orange Juice. It makes a world of difference when you use fresh squeezed. The best store-bought OJ you can find is no comparison. I'm always in favor finding uses for Raspberry Syrup and this drink delivers the goods. As I've emphasized before, the balance of this drink is so crucial, so you can't get away with free-pours on this one. But it's worth it. You'll taste the difference. The next time you're applying a little coat of varnish to your mind, give the Japalac a try. Cheers!
Recipe:
0.75 oz Rye
0.75 oz Dry Vermouth
0.33 oz Orange Juice
1 tsp Raspberry Syrup
Combine in a shaker and shake with ice.
Double strain into chilled Coupe Glass.
Garish with Orange Twist.
Follow Us!
facebook.com/DistinguishedSpirits
instagram.com/distinguishedspirits
twitter.com/DistinguishedSp
pinterest.com/DistinguishedSp
Featured in This Episode
Rittenhouse Rye
facebook.com/pages/Rittenhouse-Rye/118250084919066
heavenhill.com/brand/23
Dolin
http://www.dolin.fr/gb/index.html
