The Jasmine Cocktail Recipe

The Jasmine was created at the Townhouse Bar & Grill in Emeryville, California in the mid-1990s by Paul Harrington as a modern classic and lighter and brighter variation on the Negroni.

The Jasmine cocktail is a modern classic that emerged from California’s vibrant cocktail scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s, created by bartender Paul Harrington at the Townhouse Bar & Grill in Emeryville, near San Francisco. Inspired by a challenge from his friend Matt Jasmin to craft something entirely new, Harrington adapted the Pegu Club cocktail, replacing traditional bitters with Campari and lime juice with lemon juice. Interestingly, the cocktail’s name contains a spelling error, unintentionally honouring Jasmin’s challenge. Rising to prominence during the 1990s cocktail renaissance, the Jasmine gained wider recognition through Harrington’s 1998 book Cocktail:

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The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century and enthusiastic adoption by bartenders across California and beyond. Today, the Jasmine is celebrated as a well-balanced, bittersweet sour cocktail, blending gin, lemon juice, Cointreau or other orange liqueur, and Campari.

Its bright, citrus-forward profile, nuanced bitterness, and subtle grapefruit-like character make it a refined choice for modern cocktail enthusiasts seeking both elegance and complexity in their drinks, exemplifying California’s innovative mixology heritage.

Jasmine Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz of Gin

• ¼ oz of Campari

• ¼ oz of Orange liqueur

• ¾ oz of Fresh lemon juice

• Garnish with a twist of lemon

Assembly

Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice, and shake to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.