Stinger Cockail Recipe

The Stinger is a two-ingredient cocktail made with cognac and white crème de menthe. It has a refreshing, lightly sweet, boozy, and minty flavor profile. The cocktail gets stirred in a mixing glass and served, without a garnish, in a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.

One of the earliest printed references to the Stinger can be found in Jacques Straub’s 1914 cocktail book, Drinks. In it, Straub calls for equal parts brandy and white creme de menthe and instructs the reader to shake the cocktail and garnish it with a lemon peel. Many cocktails of this era called for equal parts, then skewed drier over time. Take, for example, the Martini whose first references called for equal parts gin and vermouth, but then developed into a 2:1 cocktail (then ever-drier) as drinks that put emphasis on spirits became more popular with consumers.

Other versions of the Stinger can be found throughout history, including variations that call for bourbon in lieu of cognac, or those that include more than two ingredients. In David Embury’s 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, he notes that while the traditional recipe for the Stinger features the two ingredients in equal parts, he prefers a “Dry Stinger” of his own creation, which calls for lime juice in addition to a 3:1 ratio of brandy to white crème de menthe.

The drink remained a popular after dinner cocktail in the decades following Prohibition and fell off around the 1970s. In the early 20th century, the drink was a favorite among New York high society, including Reginald Vanderbilt (Gloria Vanderbilt’s father) who, according to cocktail historian David Wondrich, was known to have mixed up Stingers at his home bar until his death in 1925.

Why the Stinger still works

While cognac and white crème de menthe are an unlikely combination to modern consumers, the two ingredients blend seamlessly to create a delicious drink. For best results, use a mellow, young cognac that has a blend of sweet, spiced, and citrus notes that add brightness to the cocktail.

The most common recipe for the Stinger (and the version codified by the International Bartenders Association) calls for a 2:1 ratio of cognac to white crème de menthe. However, dialing down to 3/4 ounce white crème de menthe instead of a full ounce can help to keep the sweetness of the cocktail in check, improving overall balance and ensuring the cognac still comes through.

White crème de menthe is a sweet liqueur that has fresh mint flavor but remains colorless as it is made (compared to green-hued alternatives). The white crème de menthe has a relatively low ABV (around 25% compared to that of cognac at around 40%) so it helps temper the kick of the brandy.

Serving the Stinger over cracked ice keeps the drink quite cold and refreshing, and spurs additional dilution as the ice melts into the cocktail.