Lita Grey Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 12/22/22
Lita Grey Cocktail Recipe

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
204 Calories
0g Fat
7g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 204
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 9mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 3mg 16%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 68mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Easy and delightful, the Lita Grey cocktail is a sparkling sloe gin and apricot mix that is a pleasure to sip. The drink is simple and elegant, sure to put a smile on your face as big as the smile of the woman it was named for.

Lita Grey may not be the biggest name in classic cinema, but one of her husbands was. She was the young (15-year-old), second wife of Charlie Chaplin and appeared in three of his movies before and during their short marriage.

This recipe from Péché in Austin, Texas pays tribute to the actress in a lovely way. It may be a modern creation, but it has the same classic styling found in many great early 20th century drinks. It also mimics the classic Charlie Chaplin cocktail, with its mix of sloe gin and apricot brandy (or liqueur) to retain the connection between the famous couple.

The Hollywood story behind this drink makes it perfect for movie-themed parties like watching the Oscars. It's also a great choice whenever you're in the mood to sit down and watch one of Chaplin's films.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Lita Grey Cocktail Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the gin, apricot liqueur, sloe gin, and lemon juice.

    cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the gin, sloe gin, apricot liqueur, and lemon juice

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Shake well.

    shake the cocktail shaker

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

    strain the cocktail into a glass

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Top with Champagne. Sere and enjoy.

    Lita Grey Cocktail in a cocktail glass

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • You might find it best to go with a bolder dry gin that's filled with botanicals. Options like London dry gin and Navy strength gin should have enough flavor so as not to get lost behind the sweet fruits.
  • Sloe gin is not gin, but a sweet, red liqueur flavored by sloe berries. When shopping for it, look for quality brands such as Hayman's, Gordon's, and Sipsmith.
  • The most common apricot liqueurs are labeled as brandies because they're a sweetened form of that distilled spirit. You can also find apricot liqueurs from Bols, Rothman & Winter, The Bitter Truth, and a number of other brands.
  • For the fresh lemon juice, squeezing half of one lemon into the shaker should be perfect as the fruit tends to yield about 1 3/4 ounces in total.
  • Any sparkling wine will do just fine as a substitute for Champagne. There are many great sparkling wines that are budget-friendly and perfect for cocktails.

How Strong Is a Lita Grey Cocktail?

Even though it's mostly made of alcoholic ingredients, this is not a strong cocktail. That long pour of wine brings it down to a mild 13 percent ABV (26 proof), similar to the wine itself.