Uploaded September 2015 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Learn how to make a Moonraker Cocktail that James Bond would drink by using Hennessy VS Cognac, St. George Spirits Absinthe, Tempus Fugit Spirits Kina L'Aéro d'Or and Capovilla Peach Brandy. The series, Cocktails and Pussy Galore, shows you how to drink like 007 using the Ian Fleming books (not the movies) as the source, which takes you beyond the typical James Bond Martini.
This is definitely one of the most esoteric cocktails I’ve ever made. It uses a lot of ingredients that are hard to find, but worth it if you can get your hands on them. The drink was famous enough to get reprinted in different bar manuals, but not famous enough to be one that the Lost Generation or any generation talked about.
The recipe featured here is based on the recipe from the Savoy Cocktail Manual. It was originally intended to serve 6 people. I have adjusted the recipe for a single serving and added a lemon twist which really helps to complete the drink.
This is the first Cocktails & Pussy Galore drink that had no real connect to Bond. It’s more of a spirit animal. But it's such a good one and it's a drink, that based on contextual evidence, Bond would enjoy. So I decided to include it with the Bond drinks.
This drink is named, not after the Bond book, but rather an English folk story. The townsfolk of a rural English village hid barrels of brandy in a pond to avoid having to pay a tax on the spirit. One night while retrieving a barrel from the pond with a rake, the townsfolk got caught by the tax man. But they covered their tracks by declaring that they were simply trying to hook the wheel of cheese floating in the middle of the pond. The tax man saw that the cheese was just moon reflecting on the surface of the pond, so he dismissed them as country bumpkins and left them alone. Presumably the drink gets its name because of the predominance of Brandy in it. The St. George Absinthe is made from a Brandy base so it fits right in here.
Peach Brandy is really hard to find and it's really expensive. It makes a great cocktail, but it will be out of reach for anyone except fanatics like myself. Calvados or Apple Brandy is the accepted substitute for old recipes that call for Peach Brandy, simply because Apple Brandy is a lot cheaper and much easier to find.
Do not use Peach Liqueur. It will not work in this drink. Nor will Peach-flavored Brandy. Only use spirit distilled from peaches or another eau de vie substitute.
Hennessy VS is my go-to Bond Brandy. He drank it in the book, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I really like it in the Coffee Cobbler (youtu.be/5kk7AjLo8vQ) and it's great in this drink.
Kina or Quinquina was a category of spirits that thrived from the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. They were basically vermouths that contained a significant amount of quinine, the bitter ingredient of Tonic Water. However, Kinas began to fall out of favor as our diets and palettes began to swing toward super sugary and super salty in the wake of the post-war food industrialization.
Kina Lillet dropped "Kina" from the name then was reformulated in the 1980's. It became the sweeter version we have today, called Lillet Blanc. In order to get back to something closer to the bitter elements, David Solmonson from 12 Bottle Bar, suggests supplementing Lillet Blanc with Aromatic Bitters and Citric Acid (a cheap and natural food preservative).
Another popular alternative is Cocchi Americano. It has a lot of the fruity palate and stronger sense of bitterness that will help awaken your appetite before a meal.
My favorite option is Kina L'Aéro d'Or (formerly Kina L'Avion d'Or). It's a Swiss product. It's more expensive and harder to find than the other options, but well worth it if you can track one down. Kina L'Aéro d'Or is fruity, bitter and complex.
The lemon twist is my own addition and I think it really makes the drink come together, but feel free to make it like they did in the Savoy, without it. Cheers!
Recipe:
1oz Brandy
1oz Kina
1oz Peach Brandy (or Apple Brandy)
0.25 tsp Absinthe
garnish Lemon Twist
Shake with ice. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish Lemon Twist.
Follow Us!
facebook.com/DistinguishedSpirits
instagram.com/distinguishedspirits
twitter.com/DistinguishedSp
pinterest.com/DistinguishedSp
Featured in This Episode:
Hennessy VS Cognac
hennessy.com/us/collection/vs
Kina L'Aéro d'Or
tempusfugitspirits.com/kina-vermouths
St. George Spirits
stgeorgespirits.com/spirit/absinthe
Capovilla Peach Brandy
klwines.com/p/i?s=14D23CB23E30&i=1176765
Bar Tools:
Nick & Nora Glass
amzn.to/1NdX7Tn
Measuring Cup
amzn.to/1GL9u93
Measuring Spoons
amzn.to/1JQaABS
Vegetable Peeler
amzn.to/1AA2s69
Hawthorne Strainer
amzn.to/1FfK2mB
Fine Mesh Strainer
amzn.to/1KDExWv
Shaker
amzn.to/1QgOg3l
Learn how to make a Moonraker Cocktail that James Bond would drink by using Hennessy VS Cognac, St. George Spirits Absinthe, Tempus Fugit Spirits Kina L'Aéro d'Or and Capovilla Peach Brandy. The series, Cocktails and Pussy Galore, shows you how to drink like 007 using the Ian Fleming books (not the movies) as the source, which takes you beyond the typical James Bond Martini.
This is definitely one of the most esoteric cocktails I’ve ever made. It uses a lot of ingredients that are hard to find, but worth it if you can get your hands on them. The drink was famous enough to get reprinted in different bar manuals, but not famous enough to be one that the Lost Generation or any generation talked about.
The recipe featured here is based on the recipe from the Savoy Cocktail Manual. It was originally intended to serve 6 people. I have adjusted the recipe for a single serving and added a lemon twist which really helps to complete the drink.
This is the first Cocktails & Pussy Galore drink that had no real connect to Bond. It’s more of a spirit animal. But it's such a good one and it's a drink, that based on contextual evidence, Bond would enjoy. So I decided to include it with the Bond drinks.
This drink is named, not after the Bond book, but rather an English folk story. The townsfolk of a rural English village hid barrels of brandy in a pond to avoid having to pay a tax on the spirit. One night while retrieving a barrel from the pond with a rake, the townsfolk got caught by the tax man. But they covered their tracks by declaring that they were simply trying to hook the wheel of cheese floating in the middle of the pond. The tax man saw that the cheese was just moon reflecting on the surface of the pond, so he dismissed them as country bumpkins and left them alone. Presumably the drink gets its name because of the predominance of Brandy in it. The St. George Absinthe is made from a Brandy base so it fits right in here.
Peach Brandy is really hard to find and it's really expensive. It makes a great cocktail, but it will be out of reach for anyone except fanatics like myself. Calvados or Apple Brandy is the accepted substitute for old recipes that call for Peach Brandy, simply because Apple Brandy is a lot cheaper and much easier to find.
Do not use Peach Liqueur. It will not work in this drink. Nor will Peach-flavored Brandy. Only use spirit distilled from peaches or another eau de vie substitute.
Hennessy VS is my go-to Bond Brandy. He drank it in the book, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I really like it in the Coffee Cobbler (youtu.be/5kk7AjLo8vQ) and it's great in this drink.
Kina or Quinquina was a category of spirits that thrived from the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. They were basically vermouths that contained a significant amount of quinine, the bitter ingredient of Tonic Water. However, Kinas began to fall out of favor as our diets and palettes began to swing toward super sugary and super salty in the wake of the post-war food industrialization.
Kina Lillet dropped "Kina" from the name then was reformulated in the 1980's. It became the sweeter version we have today, called Lillet Blanc. In order to get back to something closer to the bitter elements, David Solmonson from 12 Bottle Bar, suggests supplementing Lillet Blanc with Aromatic Bitters and Citric Acid (a cheap and natural food preservative).
Another popular alternative is Cocchi Americano. It has a lot of the fruity palate and stronger sense of bitterness that will help awaken your appetite before a meal.
My favorite option is Kina L'Aéro d'Or (formerly Kina L'Avion d'Or). It's a Swiss product. It's more expensive and harder to find than the other options, but well worth it if you can track one down. Kina L'Aéro d'Or is fruity, bitter and complex.
The lemon twist is my own addition and I think it really makes the drink come together, but feel free to make it like they did in the Savoy, without it. Cheers!
Recipe:
1oz Brandy
1oz Kina
1oz Peach Brandy (or Apple Brandy)
0.25 tsp Absinthe
garnish Lemon Twist
Shake with ice. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish Lemon Twist.
Follow Us!
facebook.com/DistinguishedSpirits
instagram.com/distinguishedspirits
twitter.com/DistinguishedSp
pinterest.com/DistinguishedSp
Featured in This Episode:
Hennessy VS Cognac
hennessy.com/us/collection/vs
Kina L'Aéro d'Or
tempusfugitspirits.com/kina-vermouths
St. George Spirits
stgeorgespirits.com/spirit/absinthe
Capovilla Peach Brandy
klwines.com/p/i?s=14D23CB23E30&i=1176765
Bar Tools:
Nick & Nora Glass
amzn.to/1NdX7Tn
Measuring Cup
amzn.to/1GL9u93
Measuring Spoons
amzn.to/1JQaABS
Vegetable Peeler
amzn.to/1AA2s69
Hawthorne Strainer
amzn.to/1FfK2mB
Fine Mesh Strainer
amzn.to/1KDExWv
Shaker
amzn.to/1QgOg3l
