London, United Kingdom

Army and Navy

The Army and Navy is a gin-based twist on the classic sour, swapping out regular bitters for aromatic bitters and adding orgeat for a nutty, spiced edge.

ginalmondsourspicedbitterscitrusnuttyclassicshaken

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with bright lemon and a nutty sweetness from the orgeat. The middle rounds out as the gin's botanicals mix with the warm spice of Angostura. It finishes dry and slightly bitter, with the almond and spice lingering after the gin fades.

Who will like it

This is for people who like sour drinks but want something with a heavier, spiced backbone instead of just plain fruit juice.

When to drink

It makes a great early evening drink when you want something refreshing but with enough weight to hold your attention.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender to use a lighter hand on the orgeat if you prefer your sours on the drier side, since some recipes run a bit sweet.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $2–$4Glass: CoupeBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink starts with a sharp, bright lemon bite that quickly softens into the sweet, nutty flavor of almond syrup. Warm baking spices from the bitters mix with the gin's botanicals to give it a grounded, slightly heavy middle. It is not a light and airy sour; the orgeat and Angostura give it a density that makes it feel more like a cold-weather cocktail. The finish dries out nicely, leaving a lingering spice and almond note rather than a sugary coating.

Finish: The finish runs medium-long, with the gin's juniper fading into a dry, spiced almond aftertaste.

Primary tastes

soursweetherbalbitter

Secondary

nuttyspicy

Aroma

citrusalmondbaking spicejuniper

Bitternessmildly bitter
The Angostura adds a noticeable but gentle spice and bitterness that sits in the background.
Sweetnessmoderately sweet
The orgeat brings a distinct sweetness that balances the lemon juice without making the drink cloying.
Sournessfairly sour
The fresh lemon juice gives a sharp, bright tartness that hits you right away on the first sip.
Strengthfairly strong
The gin stands out clearly and provides a solid alcoholic warmth through the middle of the drink.
Refreshingmoderately refreshing
The citrus and chill make it refreshing, but the orgeat and bitters give it a heavier, warming weight.
Creaminesslight body
The orgeat gives the drink a slightly thicker mouthfeel and a soft foam on top, but it is not heavy.
Complexitymoderately complex
The mix of nutty almond, warm spices, juniper, and citrus creates a layered flavor that shifts as you drink.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Coupe · equal parts on Gin. London Dry recommended so the botanicals cut through the orgeat

Before you start

Pop your coupe glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you can. Make sure your lemon juice is freshly squeezed, since the bottled stuff tastes flat here.

Ingredients

GinBase Spirit60ml
Lemon JuiceJuiceFresh squeezed22ml
Orgeat SyrupSyrup15ml
Angostura BittersBitters2 dashes

Garnish: Lemon twist

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
To shake and chill the drink while blending the citrus and orgeat with the gin
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid
Jigger · Measuring
To measure the gin, lemon juice, and orgeat accurately
At home: A measuring spoon or small liquid measuring cup
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
To separate the ice from the liquid when pouring into the glass
At home: A slotted spoon or fine mesh sieve
Coupe Glass · Serving
To serve the chilled drink without ice
At home: A small wine glass or shallow champagne glass
Fine Strainer · optional · Straining
To catch any small ice chips or almond bits from the orgeat for a smoother drink
At home: A regular kitchen sieve
Citrus Peeler or Knife · optional · Garnish
To cut a thin strip of lemon peel for the garnish
At home: A vegetable peeler

Steps

1
Measure out 60ml of gin, 22ml of fresh lemon juice, and 15ml of orgeat syrup using your jigger, and pour them all into the bottom of your shaker. Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters right on top.
!Using old or bottled lemon juice makes the drink taste flat and metallic.
2
Fill the shaker about two-thirds full with ice cubes. The ice should come up above the liquid line so everything chills fast and evenly when you shake.
!Using too little ice means the drink gets watered down instead of properly chilled.
3
Put the top on the shaker and shake hard for about 10 to 12 seconds. You want to shake until the outside of the metal shaker feels frosty and almost too cold to hold. This chills the drink, waters it just enough, and whips the orgeat into a light foam.
~12s
!Shaking too gently leaves the drink warm and doesn't activate the orgeat's texture.
4
Take the top off the shaker and fit your Hawthorne strainer over the rim. Pour the drink through the strainer into your chilled coupe glass. If you want a really clean look, hold a small fine strainer over the glass and pour through both at once to catch any tiny ice shards.
!Pouring too fast can splash the drink over the rim of the small glass.
5
Take your lemon peel and give it a good twist over the surface of the drink so the citrus oils spray across the top. Drop the peel into the glass. The oils give a bright hit of aroma right when you take the first sip.
!Forgetting to twist the peel over the drink misses the aromatic oils that tie the whole thing together.

Serve

Serve it right away in the chilled coupe while it is still frosty. The drink should have a pale, cloudy surface with a thin ring of white foam from the orgeat around the edge.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Gin

GinBourbon Whiskey
Match
Common availability
Gin → Bourbon Whiskey: Replaces the botanical bite with sweet vanilla and caramel, making the drink taste closer to a whiskey sour with almond.
GinLight Rum
Match
Common availability
Gin → Light Rum: Adds a subtle sugarcane sweetness that blends easily with the orgeat, turning it into a sort of Mai Tai cousin.

Swap options for Orgeat Syrup

Orgeat SyrupAmaretto
Match
Common availability
Orgeat Syrup → Amaretto: Swaps the pure almond syrup flavor for a richer, sweeter, and slightly more bitter almond liqueur note, but you lose the syrup's texture.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Mai Tai

The Mai Tai uses rum instead of gin and lime instead of lemon, making it tropical and lighter where the Army and Navy is botanical and spiced.

Match

While both share a core of citrus and almond, the Army and Navy drinks much drier and spicer thanks to the gin and Angostura, whereas the Mai Tai leans sweet and tropical from the rum and curaçao.

In common: shaken, citrus and almond flavor pairing, served up or over crushed ice

Ingredients

Both share

Orgeat Syrup

Only in Army and Navy

Gin, Lemon Juice, Angostura Bitters

Only in Mai Tai

Light Rum, Dark Rum, Lime Juice, Orange Curaçao

Both drinks rely on orgeat for a nutty sweetness, but the Army and Navy uses gin and lemon with bitters, while the Mai Tai builds a tropical profile with two rums, lime, and orange curaçao.

Flavor

Shared flavors

nutty almond backbone, citrus tartness, shaken texture

How Mai Tai differs

botanical and spiced vs. tropical and fruity, drier finish vs. sweeter finish, warmer spice notes vs. orange peel notes

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Gin Sour

The Army and Navy adds orgeat and Angostura bitters, giving it a heavier, nutty, and spiced profile that a standard Gin Sour lacks.

Match

The Army and Navy tastes like a Gin Sour that spent the autumn indoors; the core gin and lemon are the same, but the orgeat and bitters add a weight and spice that make it feel much more robust.

In common: sour family, shaken, gin and citrus base

Ingredients

Both share

Gin, Lemon Juice

Only in Army and Navy

Orgeat Syrup, Angostura Bitters

Only in Gin Sour

Simple Syrup

The Army and Navy replaces the simple syrup of a Gin Sour with orgeat syrup and adds Angostura bitters, shifting the drink from a straightforward sweet-tart balance to something richer and spiced.

Flavor

Shared flavors

bright lemon tartness, juniper forward body, clean gin finish

How Gin Sour differs

nutty and spiced vs. clean and simple, heavier mouthfeel vs. lighter body, lingering baking spice vs. quick finish

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The drink dates back to the 1940s and is widely credited to David A. Embury's book 'The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks'. Embury claimed it was a variation of the standard sour, created to satisfy the differing tastes of Army and Navy officers, though the exact bar or bartender who first mixed it is unknown.

Era: 1940s
Confidence

The exact proportions of lemon to orgeat vary across historical sources; some use equal parts, but a drier ratio is more common in modern craft bartending.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Shake hard to get a good foam from the orgeat.
Use a lighter pour of orgeat if your brand is very sweet.
A fine strain makes the drink look much cleaner in the glass.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Do not skip the bitters, or the drink tastes flat.
Do not use stale orgeat, it loses its almond flavor quickly.
Do not over-shake or the drink gets too watered down.