Cocktails

London Special Cocktail

London Special Cocktail is a cocktail made with Orange Peel, Champagne, and Bitters. It is served in a Champagne Flute.

Reviewed by the WhatDrink Editorial TeamHow we calculate nutritionSuggest a correction

Cocktailalcoholic12.1% ABV3 ingredients

At a Glance

99 kcalCalories

12.1%ABV

2.4gSugar

4.1gCarbs

0.82Std Drinks

Estimated from parsed ingredients and typical ingredient nutrition. Some ingredient data may be approximate.

These nutrition figures are approximate estimates for this recipe — actual values vary with your exact measures, brands and serving size.

On this page

How hard is it to make?

Moderatestirred drink

Why: 3 ingredients, stirred drink, requires bar spoon

Estimated from the ingredient count and technique.

Ingredients

2 dashesorange peelGarnish
champagnelump sugarOther
to tastebittersModifier

How to Make It

Put a large twist of orange peel into champagne glass.
Add 1 lump sugar and 2 dashes bitters.Add
Fill with well-chilled champagne and stir.Stirred

How to Serve

Glass: Champagne Flute
Temperature: Chilled
Method: Stirred

Served Chilled

Serving tips

Serve London Special Cocktail cold and taste the bitterness before adjusting sweetness. A citrus peel or clean garnish can lift the aroma without making it sweeter. It is commonly matched with charcuterie, olives, salty snacks style pairings.

Taste

What does London Special Cocktail taste like?

London Special Cocktail has a drier, more aromatic profile. Bitter, herbal or botanical notes give it structure and make it feel less sugary.

Primary flavours

Citrus Bitter Herbal

Supporting notes

Spicy AppleBubblesMineral

Flavor tags are derived from ingredient-level flavor mappings.

Estimated sensory profile

StrengthLight – Strong

BodyLight – Full

SweetnessDry – Sweet

AcidityFlat – Crisp

FruitinessEarthy – Fruity

BoldnessDelicate – Bold

Dry finish

What do these dimensions mean?

Practical notes

When to choose it

How to decide if London Special Cocktail is right for you

London Special Cocktail suits drinkers who like drier, more aromatic cocktails. Choose it when you want structure, bitterness or herbal lift instead of a sweet fruit profile. The listed serve is about 12.1% ABV, so strength is part of the decision.

Skip if

Skip London Special Cocktail if...

Skip London Special Cocktail if you prefer soft, sweet or fruit-led drinks. Bitter and herbal cocktails can feel dry or intense if you are expecting easy sweetness.

When to serve

AperitifSuggested from its bitter and herbal notes.
New Year's EveSuggested from its bubbles notes.

Occasion tags are inferred from drink style, serving format, flavour profile, food-pairing theme, recipe metadata, strict multi-signal supplemental rules, and cached for public page performance.

Food pairings

Charcuterie OlivesSalty Snacks

Food pairings are derived from the drink flavour signature, mapped to one dominant pairing theme, then limited to coherent public suggestions.

Diet & lifestyle

Compatible, based on the listed ingredients

Gluten-Free Vegan Vegetarian

May be limited

KetoLow-CarbLow-Sugar

Diet tags are ingredient-level and nutrition-estimate based. Product brands, preparation methods, quantities, and substitutions may change compatibility.

Alternatives to try

Choose an ingredient to see reviewed substitutions, or filter for a different preference.

Reviewed ingredient substitutions

Orange Peel2 dashes

Orange TwistGood swap

How much to use: Use a similar-sized twist.
What changes: An orange twist is usually a close substitute for orange peel.

Vegan-compatibleVegetarian-compatibleGluten-free-compatible

Bittersto taste

Angostura BittersKnown variation

How much to use: Start with the recipe’s dash count and taste before adding more.
What changes: When a recipe says only “bitters,” Angostura is a common aromatic default, except in drinks built around another named bitters style.