Star Daisy
A crisp, tart classic that brings gin, apple brandy and orange curaçao together in perfect balance.
Ingredients
- Gin22.5 ml
- Apple brandy, bonded, ideally 50% ABV22.5 ml
- Curaçao, dry22.5 ml
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed22.5 ml
- Simple syrup (1 part Sugar, 1 part Water)10 ml
- Lemon, to garnish (optional)1 twist
Method
- Chill a coupe in the freezer or with iced water.
- Pour the gin, apple brandy, curaçao, lemon juice and simple syrup into a shaker.
- Fill the shaker with plenty of ice.
- Shake hard for 8–10 seconds, until well chilled and diluted.
- Double strain into the chilled coupe for a silky texture.
- Twist a strip of lemon peel over the drink to release its oils, then discard the peel.
Sasha Petraske, Milk & Honey
About this drink
The Star Daisy belongs to the old daisy family, where spirit, citrus, orange liqueur and sugar meet in balance, and it appears in The Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930. Sasha Petraske brought it back at his celebrated New York bar Milk & Honey, and his split-base version became part of the modern repertoire. Pairing gin with apple brandy gives a depth that single-spirit daisies lack.
Questions and answers
What kind of drink is the Star Daisy?
A pre-war classic that mixes gin and apple brandy in equal parts with curaçao and lemon. A complex, spirit-forward sour with both fruit and bite.
Can I replace the apple brandy in a Star Daisy?
Calvados or ordinary applejack both work well. Calvados tends to be a little more refined and apple-forward than a simple applejack.
