Floradora

The Floradora is a classic gin cocktail everyone will love! Raspberry, lime, and bubbly ginger beer are the perfect pairing with floral gin.

Here’s a light, bubbly classic cocktail that’s flown under the radar for too long: the Floradora! This beautifully pink drink was inspired by a Broadway show by the same name and dates back to the early 1900’s. It’s a total gem of a drink: raspberry syrup pairs beautifully with lime, gin, and the spicy kick of ginger beer! It’s a classic highball cocktail, though it’s relatively undiscovered. With its sweet name and delicious sweet tart flavor, we think it’s time for another spot in the limelight!

What’s in a Floradora?

The Floradora cocktail is a highball drink starring raspberry syrup, gin and ginger beer that dates to the early 1900’s. The drink was inspired by Broadway show called Florodora that opened in London 1899 and then on American Broadway in 1900. The big draw of the show was the “Florodora girls”: six chorus girls who wore frilly pink dresses and carried parasols (here’s a picture!). So it’s no coincidence that this drink is pale pink!

The pink color of the drink came from raspberry syrup back in the day, similar to what’s used in a Clover Club. But you can also use crème de framboise liqueur (a raspberry liqueur) or Chambord (a black raspberry liqueur). Here are the ingredients you need to make a Floradora:

• Gin
• Raspberry syrup (or Chambord)
• Lime juice
• Ginger beer

How to make homemade raspberry syrup

The Floradora is at its best with homemade raspberry syrup: though you can find it store-bought as well. The homemade version is easy to make and you can also use it for raspberry cocktails like the Clover Club and Raspberry Martini. You’ll need to make it in advance, but it only takes 10 minutes of hands on time! Here’s how to make raspberry syrup:

• Melt sugar: Place 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 1 minute until the sugar dissolves.
• Add berries and simmer: Add ½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries and cook until the berries break down, about 5 to 6 minutes, turning the heat to low when it starts to boil. Break down the berries with a spatula as needed. Once fully liquid, strain into a jar using a fine mesh sieve and a spatula.
• Cool: Allow to cool, then store refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.

Or, use a raspberry liqueur!

You can also use a raspberry liqueur for the Floradora. Crème de framboise liqueur a popular choice. But we prefer Chambord since we already had it on hand in our liquor collection. Here’s what to know about this liqueur:

• Chambord is a black raspberry liqueur made in France. It’s been made there since 1685, so it has a long history. It tastes rich and fruity, with raspberry and citrus notes.
• How much does Chambord cost? A small bottle costs about $20 (in the US).
• Is it worth buying? Yes! Use it for a French Martini (delicious) or Chambord and Champagne (also delicious).

Top brands of ginger beer

The bubbly mixer in a Floradora is ginger beer! It’s best known for its inclusion in the popular Moscow Mule, but ginger beer is also the mixer in highball cocktails like the Pimm’s Cup and Whiskey Highball. Wondering which brand to opt for? Here are some favorites:

• Q Ginger Beer: This is our top choice! It has great flavor and is made with real ginger. It comes in small cans so you don’t have to open a large bottle.
• Fever Tree Ginger Beer: Fever Tree also has great flavor and is our backup! It’s made with real ginger and has no artificial sweeteners.
• More Ginger Beer Brands: Here’s a list of more top brands.

More pink drinks!

Love the shade of pink? There’s no need to assign gender to drinks: so don’t get any ideas about these being girly drinks! Anyone can drink these lovely pink cocktails like,

• Cosmopolitan: vodka, cranberry juice and lemon
• Clover Club: raspberry syrup, gin and lemon
• French Martini: Chambord, pineapple juice and vodka
• Paloma: Grapefruit juice and tequila
• Strawberry Sangria: Strawberries and rosé wine
• Finnish Long Drink: grapefruit soda, gin, lemon, cranberry
• Watermelon Margarita: Watermelon, tequila and lime

When to serve a Floradora

This lovely pink cocktail is bubbly and light: great for parties or patio sipping! Try it as a:

• Summer drink
• Afternoon drink
• Dinner party drink
• Before dinner drink (aperitif)
• Girls night
• Bachelorette party or wedding shower
• Baby shower: omit the gin as a mocktail version

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