Knickerbocker Cocktail

Citrus, Rum, and raspberries, yum! An old New York cocktail that's great for summer with plenty of flavour and plenty of booze. Garnished with whatever fruit you have on hand, this is great to enjoy with any left over ingredients.

The Knickerbocker Cocktail obviously takes its name from New York and is traditionally served in a Rocks Glass (with ice). However, if you prefer this drink neat, it can be fun to try in a Martini glass as well. This drink has evolved over time so there's really no right or wrong way to enjoy it. You do you, so enjoy it however yout like.

Have fun with this fruity concoction. You won't regret it.

Total Time 5

Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients

75 mL Golden Rum
1 tsp Orange Curaçao
15 mL Lime Juice or Lemon Juice.
15 mL Raspberry Syrup*
Garnish with seasonal berries or fruit

Instructions

Put Rum, Orange Curaçao, Lime Juice, and Raspberry Syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake well until the drink is cold.
Strain into an Old Fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. If you don't have crushed ice, wrap some in a tea towel and hit it with a rolling pin.
Add garnish, drink.

Notes

*If you want to make your own Raspberry Syrup, go here.

As with everything, use good quality Rum. The quality of the cocktail is only as good as the quality of your ingredients. Rum pairs so well with fruit juices, but you want the taste still coming through!

Regarding the name and this cocktail's invention, it's unclear (as is often the case!). We know this cocktail dates back to the mid-1800's, which pre-dates New York's Knickerbocker Hotel by at least 50 years. Because of this we know that the cocktail wasn't created there. We assume that it was first created in New York, and, while that was probably the case, it's also possible it was created elsewhere.

Ultimately the name doesn't matter, the taste and quality of the cocktail is what matters. And, in those terms, this one's a winner.

More About the Knickerbocker Cocktail

This is a nice little cocktail, so we want to say a little bit more about it. This is mostly our own opinion, so we won’t be too offended if you decide to skip this section. Or take a look and tell us what you think.

Am I allowed to shake more than one Knickerbocker Cocktail at once?

This shouldn’t be a problem. Cocktails are best shared with others, so make a few and share them! Just don’t overfill your cocktail shaker otherwise you’ll get a less than great cocktail. It’s important that you take care with everything you make. That way you get the best possible cocktail.

Can I make this cocktail to serve later?

Make the Knickerbocker Cocktail to order; serve it right away. Serving a cocktail like this fresh will ensure it’s at its best and most enjoyable. If it sits for a few minutes, that’s OK, but you’ll like it a lot more if it’s served the right way!

When’s a good time to drink the Knickerbocker Cocktail?

Served in a rocks glass with a little bit of tartness and sweetness from the Raspberry Syrup (not to mention the Lime Juice), the Knickerbocker is a refreshing sipper that would do very well after dinner. Although sour, the fruit juices don’t really suit a before meal cocktail.

We don’t usually just lump a drink into the whole “before dinner” or “after dinner” thing, but, for this one, I think a simple classification works. Feel free to try this at home after eating or, if you go out, hit a cocktail bar after dinner and see how you go.

Is the Knickerbocker Cocktail strong?

It’s on the slightly stronger side. Including the teaspoon of Orange Curacao, there’s about 80 mL of spirit in this cocktail, this is a little bit more than what you’d find in other cocktail recipes of the era. So it’s not strong, but it’s not a light cocktail either. Let’s say it’s about a 6 or 6.5 out of 10. Either way you look at it though, if you drink a few of these you’ll be feeling it. Take your time enjoying this cocktail, it’s tart enough to take your time with.

Is there a good type of music that goes with the Knickerbocker Cocktail?

This is a bit of a tough one. While the name harks back to New York, it’s more Dutch New York (since that’s where the nickname Knickerbocker comes from). But the cocktail itself doesn’t feel Dutch. It doesn’t even feel too New York either; compared to something like the Manhattan, which feels very stylish and New York City.

Possibly this is more of a cocktail drank by people who weren’t in New York (nor had ever visited New York), but felt it was something New Yorkers drank. Especially during the 1800’s, it’s probably that fruits like Raspberry and Lime were hard to come by, so this would have been a pretty fancy cocktail back in the day!

To that end, why not pair this cocktail with 1800’s saloon piano music. But from a nice saloon! It’s nice, but feels a little bit country.

Looking for more drinks with Rum? Take a look at our other recipes.

We have plenty more recipes with Rum, whether it be Golden Rum or some other kind of Rum. Have a look:

Top 10 Rum cocktail recipes: these are our favourites. There’s some good classic Rum cocktails in here for you to browse and enjoy.

All Rum cocktail recipes: if you just want a lot of Rum, this is the section of the website for you. It has all of our cocktail recipes that have Rum in them.

All Golden Rum cocktail recipes: if it’s just Golden Rum you’re after, look no further! There a plenty of recipes to browse.

Tagged Lime Juice Orange Curacao Raspberry Syrup

One Response

Chas says:
August 15, 2022 at 3:48 pm

A little on the sweet side but not too much so. It’s actually just the right level of sweetness for a dessert cocktail I reckon. really good.
Reply

Knickerbocker Cocktail Recipe