Transcontinental Recipe

Chill glass

Place the coupe or Nick & Nora glass in the freezer, or fill it with ice water while you assemble the cocktail to properly chill it.

Measure and add spirits

Using a jigger, pour 1.5 oz London dry gin, 0.5 oz Cognac, and 0.5 oz Aperol into a cocktail shaker.

Add citrus, syrup and bitters

Add 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.25 oz simple syrup, and 2 dashes of orange bitters to the shaker.

Add ice and shake

Add about 1 cup of ice to the shaker (enough to fill it). Seal and shake vigorously for 12–16 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold and you feel a good frost forming.

Prepare glass

Dump the ice water from the chilled glass if used and give the glass a quick wipe or let it remain chilled.

Double strain and serve

Using a fine strainer (or the built-in strainer), strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe through a fine mesh or hawthorne to remove small ice shards and any pulp. This ensures a silky texture.

Garnish

Express the oils of an orange twist over the surface by holding the twist skin-side down above the drink and giving it a firm squeeze, then run the twist around the rim and drop it into the glass. Optionally add a cocktail cherry on a pick for a retro touch.

Serve

Present immediately while cold. Sip slowly to appreciate the layered interplay of juniper-forward gin, warm cognac, and citrus-bitter Aperol.

If you prefer a drier cocktail, reduce simple syrup to 0.125 oz (a barspoon). For more citrus brightness, increase lemon to 0.75 oz. Substitute sweet vermouth (0.25 oz) for the syrup if you want additional complexity. Use fresh lemon juice for best balance.