London, United Kingdom

Millionaire Cocktail

Also known as Millionaire No. 1, Millionaire Whiskey Cocktail

A rich, fruity whiskey sour with maraschino and grenadine that drinks like dessert in a glass.

cherryalmondsweetbourbonegg whitegrenadinenuttysilkydessert-likeclassic

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip is sweet and nutty, with the maraschino's cherry-almond character sitting right up front. The middle opens into soft whiskey warmth and a faint tart edge from the grenadine. It finishes with a lingering, almost candy-like sweetness and a silky coating from the egg white.

Who will like it

For people who like sweet, fruity cocktails with body and a soft mouthfeel — think Clover Club or Aviation fans who want something richer.

When to drink

This is an after-dinner drink or a late-night indulgence when you want something that feels like a treat.

Ordering tip

Ask your bartender if they do a dry shake — if they skip it, the egg white won't foam properly and the texture will fall flat.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $12–$18Glass: CoupeHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink is sweet and thick, with a cherry-almond flavor from the maraschino that makes it taste almost like dessert. The egg white gives it a soft, velvety texture that smooths out the whiskey's edges. There's not much acidity to cut through the richness, so it lands heavy on the palate in a way that's satisfying if you're in the mood for something indulgent. The absinthe rinse, if you do it, adds a faint herbal shadow in the background that keeps things from getting too cloying. It's a drink that feels like a reward.

Finish: The finish is medium-long with sweet cherry and almond fading slowly, leaving a soft whiskey warmth and a faint herbal whisper if you used the absinthe rinse.

Primary tastes

sweetfruitynutty

Secondary

herbalearthy

Aroma

cherryalmondwhiskey warmthfaint anise

Bitternessbarely bitter
Only a faint bitter edge from the maraschino and the absinthe rinse if you use one — this is not a bitter drink.
Sweetnessquite sweet
The grenadine and maraschino both bring serious sugar, making this one of the sweeter classic cocktails.
Sournesslow acidity
There's no citrus juice in this drink, so the only tartness comes from a faint edge in the grenadine.
Strengthmoderately strong
The bourbon carries the drink but the sweetness and egg white make it feel softer than its ABV suggests.
Refreshingrich and heavy
The egg white and sugar make this thick and coating — it's a sipper, not something you gulp down on a hot day.
Creaminessvery creamy texture
The egg white gives this a thick, almost milkshake-like body that coats your tongue and softens everything.
Complexityfairly layered
The maraschino adds a strange, nutty depth that keeps the sweetness from being one-note, and the absinthe rinse adds a subtle herbal twist.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Coupe · equal parts on Bourbon Whiskey. A mid-proof bourbon works well; something too high-proof can fight the sweetness

Before you start

Stick your coupe glass in the freezer for a few minutes before you start. If you're using the absinthe rinse, have that ready too.

Ingredients

Bourbon WhiskeyBase Spirit60ml
Maraschino LiqueurLiqueurLuxardo is the standard; it gives a dry cherry-almond note, not the bright red cherry flavor15ml
GrenadineSyrupReal pomegranate grenadine, not the bright red corn syrup kind15ml
Egg WhiteDairyGives the drink its thick, silky texture and the foam cap on top15ml (about half a white)
AbsintheoptionalOtherJust a rinse of the glass — pour a splash, swirl, and dump the excess before straining the drink inrinse

Garnish: Brandied cherry

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
You need a shaker for the dry shake and the wet shake — the egg white won't emulsify without vigorous shaking
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid works if you hold it really firmly
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
Strains the ice out of the shaker while keeping the foam intact
At home: A slotted spoon held against the shaker opening, though you'll lose some foam
Jigger · Measuring
Measuring the whiskey, maraschino, and grenadine accurately
At home: A tablespoon — 1 tablespoon is roughly 15ml
Coupe Glass · Serving
The classic serving glass for this drink — the V shape shows off the foam cap
At home: A small wine glass or a shallow bowl-shaped glass
Fine Mesh Strainer · optional · Straining
Double straining catches any ice chips or egg bits so the drink is smooth
At home: A small tea strainer or sieve

Steps

1
Take your coupe glass out of the freezer. If you're doing the absinthe rinse, pour a small splash of absinthe into the glass, swirl it around so it coats the inside, then pour the excess out. Set the glass aside.
!Leaving too much absinthe in the glass overpowers the whole drink — just a thin film on the inside is enough.
2
Crack your egg and separate the white into the shaker. Add the 60ml bourbon, 15ml maraschino liqueur, and 15ml grenadine. Don't add any ice yet — this is the dry shake, and it needs to happen without ice so the egg white can emulsify properly.
!Adding ice before the dry shake makes it much harder to get a good foam because the cold tightens the egg proteins before they can spread.
3
Seal the shaker and shake hard for about 10 to 15 seconds with no ice inside. You'll feel the shaker get slightly warm and hear the liquid sloshing thickly — that's the egg white starting to whip up. When you can feel the shaker has some weight and resistance to it, you're done with this step.
~12s
!Shaking too gently — you really need to put some force into it to get the egg white to fluff up.
4
Open the shaker and fill it about three-quarters full with ice — big cubes if you have them. Seal it back up and shake hard again for another 10 to 12 seconds. You want the outside of the shaker to feel frosty and cold to the touch. That's how you know the drink is properly chilled and diluted.
~11s
!Shaking too long after adding ice waters the drink down and flattens the foam.
5
Pop the shaker open and strain the drink through your Hawthorne strainer into the chilled coupe glass. If you have a fine mesh strainer, hold it over the glass and pour through that too — it catches any stray ice shards or bits of egg. The drink should have a thick layer of white foam on top.
!Pouring too fast can break the foam — tilt the glass slightly and pour gently onto the inside wall.
6
Drop a brandied cherry into the center of the foam if you're using one. Serve it right away while it's cold and the foam is still holding.

Serve

Serve it in the chilled coupe as soon as you strain it — the foam starts settling after a minute or two, and the drink is best cold. No ice in the glass.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

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

Swap options for Bourbon Whiskey

Bourbon WhiskeyRye Whiskey
Match
Common availability
Bourbon Whiskey → Rye Whiskey: Adds a spicier, drier edge that cuts through the sweetness more than bourbon does.
Bourbon WhiskeyBlended Scotch Whisky
Match
Common availability
Bourbon Whiskey → Blended Scotch Whisky: Brings a lighter, slightly smoky malt character that changes the drink's personality quite a bit.

Swap options for Maraschino Liqueur

Maraschino LiqueurCherry Heering
Match
Specialty availability
Maraschino Liqueur → Cherry Heering: Sweeter and more straightforward cherry flavor without the dry almond-like edge of maraschino.

Swap options for Grenadine

GrenadineRaspberry Syrup
Match
Common availability
Grenadine → Raspberry Syrup: Shifts the fruit character from pomegranate to berry and makes the drink slightly tarter.

Swap options for Absinthe

AbsinthePastis
Match
Specialty availability
Absinthe → Pastis: Similar anise and licorice notes for the rinse, though slightly sweeter and less herbal.
AbsintheHerbsaint
Match
Specialty availability
Absinthe → Herbsaint: Lighter anise character that works well as a rinse without dominating.

Similar cocktails

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

Similar cocktail

Clover Club

The Clover Club uses gin and lemon juice instead of bourbon, making it brighter and more tart.

Match

Both drinks are silky, fruity, and served up, but the Clover Club is brighter and more refreshing with its gin and citrus, while the Millionaire is heavier and sweeter with bourbon and maraschino.

In common: shaken with egg white, sweet and fruity, served up in a coupe

Ingredients

Both share

Egg White, Grenadine

Only in Millionaire Cocktail

Bourbon Whiskey, Maraschino Liqueur, Absinthe

Only in Clover Club

Gin, Lemon Juice, Raspberry Syrup

Swapping gin for bourbon shifts the base from botanical to warm and oaky, and replacing lemon juice with maraschino removes the tartness entirely, making the Millionaire much sweeter and richer.

Flavor

Shared flavors

silky egg white texture, pinkish hue from grenadine, sweet fruit-forward character

How Clover Club differs

sweeter and less tart, warmer and boozier base, nutty maraschino instead of bright raspberry

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Aviation

The Aviation uses gin and lemon juice, giving it a tart, floral profile instead of the Millionaire's sweet, rich one.

Match

They share that distinctive maraschino character, but the Aviation is lean and tart while the Millionaire is round and dessert-like.

In common: maraschino-driven flavor, classic pre-prohibition era, served up

Ingredients

Both share

Maraschino Liqueur

Only in Millionaire Cocktail

Bourbon Whiskey, Grenadine, Egg White, Absinthe

Only in Aviation

Gin, Lemon Juice, Crème de Violette

The Aviation's lemon juice and gin make it tart and botanical, while the Millionaire's grenadine, egg white, and bourbon make it sweet and velvety — same maraschino backbone, completely different experience.

Flavor

Shared flavors

cherry-almond note from maraschino, spirit-forward with a liqueur accent

How Aviation differs

much sweeter, thicker mouthfeel from egg white, no tartness to balance

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Whiskey Sour

The Whiskey Sour uses lemon juice and simple syrup instead of maraschino and grenadine, giving it a clean tart-sweet balance.

Match

If you know the Whiskey Sour, think of the Millionaire as its richer, sweeter cousin that swapped out the lemon for cherry and pomegranate.

In common: bourbon-based, egg white texture, shaken and served up

Ingredients

Both share

Bourbon Whiskey, Egg White

Only in Millionaire Cocktail

Maraschino Liqueur, Grenadine, Absinthe

Only in Whiskey Sour

Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup

Replacing the lemon and simple syrup with maraschino and grenadine removes the bright acidity and adds dense, nutty sweetness — same skeleton, very different personality.

Flavor

Shared flavors

bourbon warmth, silky egg white body, comforting and familiar structure

How Whiskey Sour differs

much sweeter, no tartness, cherry-almond complexity instead of clean citrus

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The Millionaire appears in Harry Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), which lists two different recipes under the name. The modern version commonly made today — with bourbon, maraschino, grenadine, and egg white — doesn't match either Savoy recipe exactly and seems to have evolved through later adaptations. The exact origin of this particular formula is unclear.

Era: 1920s
Confidence

The Millionaire has multiple historical recipes, and the modern standard version differs from both Savoy Cocktail Book entries. The formula used here (bourbon, maraschino, grenadine, egg white) is the most commonly encountered in contemporary bars, but it is not universally standardized.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

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

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Use real pomegranate grenadine — the fake stuff tastes like candy, not fruit.
The dry shake is non-negotiable if you want proper foam on top.
A lighter hand on the grenadine keeps the drink from getting cloying.
Fresh eggs matter — old whites don't whip up as well.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't skip the dry shake or your foam will be thin and weepy.
Don't use bottled grenadine with red dye and corn syrup.
Don't over-pour the absinthe rinse — a quarter teaspoon is plenty.