With a name like “Aunt Emily,” you might expect this to be a riff on the Old Fashioned or a Dubonnet Cocktail—or a glass of wine. But nope. However old she is, Aunt Emily is a happenin’ chick and somewhat of a boozer.

Between the liqueur and the grenadine, this cocktail is on the sweet side, but in a balanced way. Uncle Marty prefers a larger measure than the recipe suggests of a strong gin (such as Sipsmith VJOP), although the uniform proportions of ingredients make this recipe more memorable. It’s still challenging to remember all five ingredients unless you whip one of these up every afternoon, so I focus on that instead.

“Equal portions of gin, calvados, apricot brandy, and OJ, with a dash of grenadine.” I never have trouble remembering to bump up the dose of gin. Never.

AUNT EMILY
¾ oz London Dry Gin (Sipsmith VJOP)
¾ oz Calvados
¾ oz Apricot Brandy Liqueur
¾ oz Orange juice (freshly squeezed)
1 tsp Grenadine syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with an apricot wedge (if apricots are in season) or a twist of orange zest.