Rico makes a San Francisco (Cafe Royal Version) cocktail 

In the latest episode of Absolut Drinks with Rico, Rico makes a Sloe Gin classic known as the San Francisco (Café Royal Version).

With its origins dating all the way back to 1937, “It’s an undeniable classic”, declares Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador.

So, how do you make a San Francisco (Café Royal Version)?

Very easily. You see, the San Francisco (Café Royal Version) is an equal parts, stirred drink. This means no shaking, no special home bartending tools nor any elaborate preparation.

Unsure what “equal parts” means? No problems – check out our post where we explain what a “part” is and how to use parts to make cocktails.

The San Francisco (Café Royal Version) is made with equal parts Sloe Gin, Dry Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth, and a couple of dashes of both Orange and Angostura Bitters.

To accentuate the elegance of this drink, Rico recommends serving it in a Nick & Nora Glass and garnishing the drink with a Maraschino Cherry on a cocktail pick.

To learn more about how to make your drinks look great, read this post.

What does a San Francisco (Café Royal Version) cocktail taste like?

Despite being an easy to make cocktail, the San Francisco (Café Royal Version) is wonderfully complex –both fruity, and aromatic.

“It’s super sweet. You’ve got both worlds of two different Vermouths, both dry and sweet, balancing it out and you have that Sloe Gin,” shares Rico.

Make this one for your guests at your next gathering and you’re sure to earn some cocktail cred.

“Can you make the San Francisco cocktail with Vodka instead of Sloe Gin?”

If you’re a regular viewer of Absolut Drinks with Rico, you’ll know that, in addition to making the classic drink, Rico likes to make a variation of the drink with Vodka, often times with one of our Absolut Flavored Vodkas.

In this episode, Rico reimagines the San Francisco (Café Royal Version) by swapping Sloe Gin for Vodka. He sticks to the original recipe with one part Dry Vermouth and one part Sweet Red Vermouth, but uses one part Absolut Vodka instead of Sloe Gin, along with a few dashes of Angostura and Orange Bitters.

To keep the drink’s viscosity and sweetness, he adds a couple of bar spoons of Maraschino Syrup to bring out the red fruit flavors.

But the question remains, “Will It Vodka?”.

Watch to find out!

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