Pegu Club Cocktail Recipe: How to Make a Pegu Club Cocktail

The Pegu Club cocktail is an original cocktail from Burma, a gin-based drink served in a chilled coupe glass. The Pegu Club cocktail is garnished with a grapefruit twist or slice of wedged lime. The Pegu Club Cocktail is the ideal drink for a hot summer's day.

The Pegu Club cocktail is an old cocktail that originated in Rangoon, Burma (now known as Yagnon, Myanmar). The club is called “The Pegu Club” as the cocktail was the signature drink of this same club in 1880 and was created for the purpose of serving the British army officers during the war. The Pegu Club cocktail has a sour and bitter taste. It is best recommended to anyone who likes a refreshing drink with a twist of alcohol.

What are the ingredients for a Pegu Club Cocktail?

Below are the ingredients for a Pegu Club Cocktail.

• 2 Dashes of Angostura bitters: Angostura bitters are made of herbs and spices dissolved in alcohol.
• 40ml Gin: Gin is a colourless, grain-based alcoholic beverage prepared from distilled or neutral grain spirits and flavoured by juniper berries.
• 20ml Cointreau: Cointreau is a type of liqueur, particularly an orange liqueur that gives off an orange flavour.
• 20ml Fresh Lime juice: Lime juice is the liquid produced from freshly squeezed limes. It produces a citric and sweet flavour that is delightful.

1. 2 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

Adding 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters is important because it gives the Pegu Club cocktail its distinct herbal flavours and natural vibe. Angostura Bitters have approximately 35%-45% of alcohol content by volume. However,  the recipe only requires drops or dashes and so may not add to the alcoholic strength of the drink.

2. 40ml Gin

One of the major ingredients in the Pegu Club cocktail is gin. It has a strong citrus smell and a pine-like flavour, and packs a powerful punch into the drink. It contains around 40% alcohol by volume and 50 calories. London Dry gin is the recommended gin for this recipe.

3. 20ml Cointreau

Cointreau Liqueur is one of the most noticeable flavours in the Pegu Club cocktail as it blends with lime juice to complement the drink’s citrus taste. Cointreau has 40% alcohol content by volume and 70 calories.

4. 20ml Fresh Lime Juice

One of the ingredients that adds to the citrusy sour taste of the Pegu Club cocktail is fresh lime juice. The lime’s sweetness contrasts with the gin’s bitterness, and the acidity gives the gin more flavour depth. Fresh lemon juice with a volume of 20ml has 4 calories.

How to make a Pegu Club Cocktail?

Preparing a Pegu Club cocktail has never been easier thanks to this recipe, so don't miss it and make the most out of your cocktail!

•  Pour all the ingredients into a shaker and shake.
•  Fine strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass.
•  Garnish with a lime twist.

1. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker and shake.

Combine the fresh lime juice, Cointreau, gin and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters into the shaker with ice and shake. Shaking enables all the ingredients to mix well and chill instantly.

2. Fine strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass.

Fine strain the cocktail mixture into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Straining the mixed drink with a fine strainer will prevent any unwanted substances from getting into the glass.

3. Garnish with a lime twist.

To garnish with a lime twist, set the lime on a cutting board and cut a quarter-inch portion in the middle part to remove the pulp. Curl it by hand or with a chopstick and gently place it on the rim of the glass.

What nutritional benefit can you get from drinking a Pegu Club Cocktail?

There are no nutritional benefits from drinking a Pegu Club cocktail. It has an alcohol content of 29% by volume, with an amount of 150 calories present per serving.  

What are the different variations of Pegu Club?

There are multiple variations of the classic Pegu Club cocktail, including Blueberry Pegu Club, Appletini, Pegu Club Martini, and Raspberry Pegu Club. To variate a classic Pegu Club cocktail, the bartender should change some ingredients. The procedure of making the variation of a Pegu Club cocktail is just the same as making the classic one. However, instead of Angostura bitters, a bartender can use Orange Bitter to make the drink smoother, stronger and more complex in flavour. Some similar cocktails to the classic Pegu Club cocktail are the Ward Eight c, Last Word, Corpse Reviver No. 2, Lavender Lemon Drop, Hemingway Daiquiri, Orange Blossom, Valencia Cocktail and Boulevardier.