The Fog Cutter Cocktail Recipe

Invented by Victor J (aka Trader Vic) Bergeron an irascible, one-legged genius, who founded a multimillion-dollar food and drink empire called, "Trader Vic’s". Victor J Bergeron is also accredited with the formulation of the Mai Tai.

The Fog Cutter cocktail is one of the most legendary drinks to emerge from mid-20th-century American tiki culture. Renowned for its strength and layered complexity, the Fog Cutter was created during the golden age of tiki bars, when exotic flavours and escapist themes dominated cocktail menus across the United States.

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The drink is most commonly credited to Victor J. “Trader Vic” Bergeron, who developed the Fog Cutter in the 1940s. Trader Vic famously described it as so powerful that “after two of them, you won’t even see the stuff,” a reputation that quickly cemented the cocktail’s notoriety. Unlike most tiki drinks that rely solely on rum, the Fog Cutter is distinctive for combining light rum, brandy, and gin in a single recipe.

Balanced with fresh lemon juice, orange juice, and orgeat syrup, the cocktail disguises its high alcohol content behind bright citrus and subtle almond sweetness. A traditional float of cream sherry adds richness and visual drama, reinforcing the theatrical style that defined tiki bartending. This multi-spirit construction reflects Trader Vic’s cleaner, more structured approach to tiki drinks compared with the secretive blends favoured by Don the Beachcomber.

The Fog Cutter emerged at a time when Americans were captivated by romanticised visions of the South Pacific. Tiki bars offered an imaginative escape from post-war reality, and powerful cocktails like the Fog Cutter became central to that experience. Today, the Fog Cutter remains a tiki classic, celebrated during the modern cocktail revival for its bold character, historical significance, and unapologetic strength. It stands as a symbol of tiki culture’s creativity, excess, and enduring appeal.

The Fog Cutter Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz of white rum

• ½ oz of gin

• ½ oz of brandy

• 2 oz fresh orange juice

• 1 oz fresh lemon juice

• ½ oz of orgeat (almond-flavoured syrup)

• ½ oz of Amontillado sherry

• 1 mint sprig

• Ice

Assembly

Add the white rum, gin, brandy, orange and lemon juices, and orgeat into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass and float the Amontillado sherry on top. Garnish with a mint sprig.