A spirit-forward, equal-parts trio of gin, apricot brandy and apple brandy, shaken hard and served cold and straight up in a coupe. The juniper bite of the gin frames the apricot's sweet stone-fruit core while the apple brandy lends an orchard-dry, faintly spiced depth — deceptively simple, surprisingly layered.
Shaken · Coupe · Up
add
Combine equal parts gin, apricot brandy, and Calvados in a shaker filled with ice.
shake
Shake well until thoroughly chilled.
strain
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, served straight up.
The Angel Face enters the written record in 1930, among the recipes Harry Craddock gathered for the Savoy Cocktail Book — though Craddock compiled the drink rather than claiming it, and no individual inventor has ever been credited. His version called for dry gin; the modern standard simply asks for gin, still balanced in equal measure against apricot brandy and Calvados. The International Bartenders Association now keeps it on its list of "Unforgettables."