Napoleon Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 04/22/21
Napoleon Cocktail

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The Napoleon cocktail is a classic drink recipe that is simple, lovely, and adds a nice touch to an elegant dinner. It's reminiscent of the gin martini, though it skips the vermouth. Instead, it relies on Dubonnet Rouge, a red wine apèritif that's slightly sweet, gently bitter, and flavored with quinine and spices.

While it is delicious all on its own, mixing Dubonnet with gin and Grand Mariner offers a fabulous taste experience. The soft hint of sweet orange from Grand Marnier adds balance and versatility to this cocktail. Not only is it a great before dinner drink, but it can also pair well with any course within a meal, and even has a sweetness that makes it work well for dessert.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the gin, orange liqueur, and Dubonnet Rouge. Fill with ice.

  3. Shake well.

  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

  5. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • As with all martini-style of drinks, this one deserves a top-shelf gin. Dry gins with a traditional juniper-forward profile will likely work best because some of the softer gins will get lost behind the Dubonnet.
  • Orange curaçao is commonly used in the Napleon, but you need to ensure its quality rivals that of Grand Marnier for the best tasting drink. Many of the inexpensive brands of this orange liqueur will not do the drink justice. Pay a little extra for brands like Pierre Ferrand or Senior Curaçao of Curaçao and you will not be disappointed.
  • Blue (or green) curaçao are not a good substitute in this cocktail. The colored versions of the orange liqueur are more of a novelty and often not of the quality that the Napoleon deserves.
  • If you do not have a pre-chilled cocktail glass available, give it a quick chill while mixing up the drink. Place a few ice cubes in the glass then discard them before straining.

Recipe Variations

  • There are a few renditions of the Napoleon beyond the curaçao option that are worth exploring. Among those are recipes that cut the Grand Marnier and Dubonnet almost in third, using just 1/2 teaspoon of each. This might be a good solution for certain gins.
  • Another common variation combines 1 1/2 ounces of gin with 1/2 ounce Dubonnet and 2 dashes each of curaçao and Fernet Branca. The last ingredient is a uniquely flavored Italian bitter digestif that can be an acquired taste but will add an intriguing twist to the mix.
  • When you skip the orange liqueur, you have the original Dubonnet cocktail. It's another fantastic drink to showcase the apèritif's perfect pairing with a really nice gin.

How Strong Is a Napoleon Cocktail?

As with most martinis, the Napoleon cocktail is not a light drink. It should mix up to have an alcohol content around 33 percent ABV (66 proof), making it just slightly softer than if you were to drink an 80-proof gin straight.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
179 Calories
0g Fat
4g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 179
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 91mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 1mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 14mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)