The Savoy Tango has unfortunately fallen into oblivion. The mixture of Sloe Gin and Calvados, which was invented by Harry Craddock around 1930, is completely convincing.
40 ml Plymouth Sloe Gin 40 ml Christian Drouin Blanche de Normandie
Preparation: 3 ice cubes, stirred for 10 seconds (30 times).
We first became aware of the Savoy Tango – although we have of course read about it from time to time in old books – thanks to Maxim Schulte, the first German bar manager of the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London from 2018 to 2020. His predecessors were illustrious personalities: Ada Coleman (1903-1924), Harry Craddock (1925-1939), Peter Dorelli (1985-2003) and Erik Lorincz (2010-2018). [1][2] In the Pordast ‘Hidden Bar History’ he describes the Savoy Tango and also his endeavours to revive this completely unknown drink from the Savoy. [3-1:13:00]
The Savoy Tango was first published in ‘The Savoy Cocktail Book’. It is written there: “1/2 Sloe Gin. 1/2 Applejack or Calvados. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. This cocktail is a very great favourite at the Savoy Hotel, London, where it was invented.”[4-143] The book ‘United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild’, probably published in 1937, names Harry Craddock as the inventor of the mixture. [5]
A seemingly simple recipe, but one that we believe requires a little background knowledge to be able to prepare it to perfection. You need to understand what Calvados actually was in the 1930s: an unaged product. If you would like to find out more about this, please refer to our post on Calvados. We like the Savoy Tango much better with such an unaged product, as it has more distinct apple flavours. As a fruit eau-de-vie (and Calvados is one of them to a certain extent) reacts sensitively to too much ice and loses its flavours, it goes without saying that – contrary to the original recipe – it should not be shaken. Instead, we recommend stirring with 3 ice cubes for 10 seconds (30 times).
Is there a source of inspiration, a kind of predecessor to the Savoy Tango? This question is of course impossible to answer, as we can no longer ask Harry Craddock about it. In any case, the Savoy Tango reminds us very much of the Tinton, first published by Hugo Richard Ensslin in 1917, which is a mixture of 1/3 Port and 2/3 Applejack. [6-32]
In more recent publications, the Savoy Tango also appears under the name ‘Ninety Miles an Hour’ or ‘Ninety Miles’.
We couldn’t agree more with Maxim Schulte: the Savoy Tango is a forgotten classic that should be served more often!
Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Being in the main a complete compendium of the Cocktails, Rickeys, Daisies, Slings, Shrubs, Smashes, Fizzes, Juleps, Cobblers, Fixes, and other Drinks, known and vastly appreciated in this year of grace 1930, with sundry notes of amusement and interest concerning them, together with subtle Observations upon Wines and their special occasions. Being in the particular an selucidation of the Manners and Customs of people of quality in a period of some equality. London, Constable & Company ltd., 1930.
United Kingdom Bartenders Guild: Approved Cocktails. London, Pall Mall ltd., without year (1937?). Note: Collectif1806 gives the year as 1935.
Hugo R. Ensslin: Recipes for Mixed Drinks, 2. edition, New York 1917.
Historical recipes
1930 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 143. Savoy Tango.
1/2 Sloe Gin. 1/2 Applejack or Calvados. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. This cocktail is a very great favourite at the Savoy Hotel, London, where it was invented.
1933 Jacob Abraham Grohusko: Jack’s Manual. Seite 96. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
50% gin 50% applejack Shake well, and strain into cocktail glass.
1934 G. F. Steele: My new cocktail book. Seite 104. Savoy Tango.
1/2 Sloe Gin 1/2 Applejack
1934 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The official mixer’s manual. Seite 80. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Sloe Gin 1/2 Applejack or Calvados Shake well and strain into glass. Use glass number 1
1935 Leo Cotton: Old Mr. Boston. Seite 114. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Old Mr. Boston Sloe Gin 1/2 Applejack Shake well with cracked ice and strain into 3 oz. Cocktail glass.
1935 O. Blunier: The barkeeper’s golden book. Seite 134. Savoy Tongo.
1/2 Gin 1/2 Applejack
1937 Salvador Trullos Mateu: Recetario internacional de cock-tails. Seite 119. Savoy Tango Cock-Tail.
Media parte sloe gin. Media parte Applejack. Bátase. Este cocktail es muy favorito del hotel Savoy de London, y el cual fué inventado en el mismo.
1937 United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild. Savoy Tango.
Invented by Harry Craddock. 50% Sloe Gin. 50% Applejack or Calvados. Mix and strain into cocktail glass.
1940 Crosby Cage: Crosby Cage’s cocktail guide. Seite 166. Ninety Miles an Hour.
1/2 part Sloe Gin 1/2 part Applejack Brandy Shake with ice and strain into cocktail glass. TAKE YOUR HAND OFF THE THROTTLE AND WAIT FOR THE CRASH.
1940 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The official mixer’s manual. Seite 80. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Sloe Gin 1/2 Applejack or Calvados Shake well and strain into glass. Use glass number 1
1949 Emile Bauwens: Livre de cocktails. Seite 79. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Calvados – 1/2 Sloe Gin – Frapper au shaker et passer dans un verre à cocktail. Ce cocktail a été créé au « Savoy Hotel » de Londres, ou il est très en vogue.
40 ml Plymouth Sloe Gin
40 ml Christian Drouin Blanche de Normandie
Preparation: 3 ice cubes, stirred for 10 seconds (30 times).
We first became aware of the Savoy Tango – although we have of course read about it from time to time in old books – thanks to Maxim Schulte, the first German bar manager of the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London from 2018 to 2020. His predecessors were illustrious personalities: Ada Coleman (1903-1924), Harry Craddock (1925-1939), Peter Dorelli (1985-2003) and Erik Lorincz (2010-2018). [1] [2] In the Pordast ‘Hidden Bar History’ he describes the Savoy Tango and also his endeavours to revive this completely unknown drink from the Savoy. [3-1:13:00]
The Savoy Tango was first published in ‘The Savoy Cocktail Book’. It is written there: “1/2 Sloe Gin. 1/2 Applejack or Calvados. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. This cocktail is a very great favourite at the Savoy Hotel, London, where it was invented.” [4-143] The book ‘United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild’, probably published in 1937, names Harry Craddock as the inventor of the mixture. [5]
A seemingly simple recipe, but one that we believe requires a little background knowledge to be able to prepare it to perfection. You need to understand what Calvados actually was in the 1930s: an unaged product. If you would like to find out more about this, please refer to our post on Calvados. We like the Savoy Tango much better with such an unaged product, as it has more distinct apple flavours. As a fruit eau-de-vie (and Calvados is one of them to a certain extent) reacts sensitively to too much ice and loses its flavours, it goes without saying that – contrary to the original recipe – it should not be shaken. Instead, we recommend stirring with 3 ice cubes for 10 seconds (30 times).
Is there a source of inspiration, a kind of predecessor to the Savoy Tango? This question is of course impossible to answer, as we can no longer ask Harry Craddock about it. In any case, the Savoy Tango reminds us very much of the Tinton, first published by Hugo Richard Ensslin in 1917, which is a mixture of 1/3 Port and 2/3 Applejack. [6-32]
In more recent publications, the Savoy Tango also appears under the name ‘Ninety Miles an Hour’ or ‘Ninety Miles’.
We couldn’t agree more with Maxim Schulte: the Savoy Tango is a forgotten classic that should be served more often!
Sources
The Savoy names 14th American Bar head bartender. 18. March 2024.
Historical recipes
1930 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 143. Savoy Tango.
1/2 Sloe Gin.
1/2 Applejack or Calvados.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.
This cocktail is a very great favourite at the Savoy
Hotel, London, where it was invented.
1933 Jacob Abraham Grohusko: Jack’s Manual. Seite 96. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
50% gin
50% applejack
Shake well, and strain into cocktail glass.
1934 G. F. Steele: My new cocktail book. Seite 104. Savoy Tango.
1/2 Sloe Gin
1/2 Applejack
1934 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The official mixer’s manual. Seite 80. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Sloe Gin
1/2 Applejack or Calvados
Shake well and strain into glass.
Use glass number 1
1935 Leo Cotton: Old Mr. Boston. Seite 114. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Old Mr. Boston Sloe Gin
1/2 Applejack
Shake well with cracked ice and
strain into 3 oz. Cocktail glass.
1935 O. Blunier: The barkeeper’s golden book. Seite 134. Savoy Tongo.
1/2 Gin
1/2 Applejack
1937 Salvador Trullos Mateu: Recetario internacional de cock-tails. Seite 119. Savoy Tango Cock-Tail.
Media parte sloe gin.
Media parte Applejack. Bátase.
Este cocktail es muy favorito del hotel
Savoy de London, y el cual fué inventado en
el mismo.
1937 United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild. Savoy Tango.
Invented by Harry Craddock.
50% Sloe Gin.
50% Applejack or Calvados.
Mix and strain into cocktail glass.
1940 Crosby Cage: Crosby Cage’s cocktail guide. Seite 166. Ninety Miles an Hour.
1/2 part Sloe Gin
1/2 part Applejack Brandy
Shake with ice and strain into cocktail
glass.
TAKE YOUR HAND OFF THE THROTTLE AND WAIT FOR THE
CRASH.
1940 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The official mixer’s manual. Seite 80. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Sloe Gin
1/2 Applejack or Calvados
Shake well and strain into glass.
Use glass number 1
1949 Emile Bauwens: Livre de cocktails. Seite 79. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Calvados –
1/2 Sloe Gin –
Frapper au shaker et passer dans un
verre à cocktail.
Ce cocktail a été créé au « Savoy
Hotel » de Londres, ou il est très en
vogue.
1951 Ted Saucier: Ted Saucier’s bottoms up. Seite 220. Savoy Tango.
Courtesy, Savoy Hotel, London
1/2 sloe gin
1/2 applejack or Calvados
Ice
Shake well, and strain into cocktail glass.
1956 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The official mixer’s manual. Seite 62. Savoy Tango.
1/2 Sloe Gin
1/2 Applejack or Calvados
Shake well with ice and strain
into glass.
1956 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The official mixer’s manual. Seite 77. Ninety Miles.
1/2 Sloe Gin
1/2 Applejack
Shake well with ice and strain
into glass.
1957 Henri Barman: Cocktails et autres boissons mélangées. Seite 67. Ninety Miles.
Shaker, glace
1/2 Sloe Gin
1/2 Calvados
Bien frapper au shaker et
passer dans verre à cocktail.
Mélangeur électr. : voir note.
1957 Henri Barman: Cocktails et autres boissons mélangées. Seite 82. Savoy Tango.
Shaker, glace
1/2 Sloe Gin
1/2 Calvados
Bien frapper au shaker et
passer dans verre à cocktail.
Mélangeur électr. : voir note.
1976 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 143. Savoy Tango Cocktail.
1/2 Sloe Gin.
1/2 Applejack or Calvados.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.
1977 Stan Jones: Jones’ complete barguide. Seite 334. Ninety Miles.
Cocktail Glass Stir/Shake
1-1/4 oz sloe gin
1-1/4 oz applejack
1977 Stan Jones: Jones’ complete barguide. Seite 394. Savoy Tango.
Cocktail Glass Shake
1-1/4 oz sloe gin
1-1/4 oz applejack
explicit capitulum
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