Pale Deacon

A day late, sure, but who cares - let's check out the Pale Deacon!

Pale Deacon

Taken once again from Esquire's fantastic online database of drinks, available here.


3 ounces London dry gin
1/2 teaspoon superfine sugar
4 1/2 ounces grapefruit juice



"Shake the gin, sugar, and grapefruit juice* well with cracked ice, then pour unstrained into a chilled Collins glass. Truth be told, we prefer ours with 3 dashes of Angostura bitters -- but we would, you see; we're professionals."

Alright, I played around with this one because of the ingredients I had on-hand, and the spirit (no pun intended) of the recipe.

First, I only had Ruby Red Grapefruit juice available at the Amateur Mixologist studios.  Because Ruby Red is so sweet compared to regular grapefruit juice, I decided that the drink didn't need any more sugar.  So, I didn't add the half-teaspoon.

Also, I used what gin I had on hand, as I ran out of London dry gin a little while back, and didn't have any in stock.  Use any gin you like for this one.  There's enough grapefruit juice used in this recipe to knock out the subtleties of good gin anyway.

Lastly, I went ahead and added the Angostura bitters to the drink, so that I could further cut against the sweetness of the Ruby Red.  I figure the experts from Esquire's drink catalogue know a thing or two about the best way to make the drink.

I can't say that they were wrong!

This was a fantastic drink, entirely refreshing, not too sweet (even using the Ruby Red), and highly drinkable. 

The Pale Deacon works for practically any occasion, save for perhaps the coldest of winter nights when all you want is a scotch and blanket.  And, it can be made in large quantities.  If you do make it in large quantities, know that you need to add the bitters just before serving.  If you add the bitters early, the flavors can expand and expand exponentially.  In other words, add the bitters at the end and control the flavor.

Big fan of the Pale Deacon - hope you love it as well.  Cheers!