My Leap Year Cocktail is a tasty balance of a little tart, a little sweet, and a whole lotta tasty with gin, Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth and fresh lemon juice. Invented in London in the leap year of 1928, this is the perfect drink to celebrate one extra day this year.

A martini glass filled with a lemony drink

This year, we gain an extra day; February 29th is a leap day. This is our way of keeping the astronomical calendar synchronized because of the solar system’s disparity with the Gregorian calendar or something of that nature. Can you tell I don’t know a lot about astronomy? But not to bore you; I just prefer to look at it like it’s just a good drink for leap year celebrations.

Pouring a drink from a shaker into a martini glass

If you’re not a gin fan, no problem; just swap it out for vodka. I do this all the time with this and my April Showers Cocktail (below) which is a refreshing drink for spring days made with lemon juice, agave nectar, and grapefruit.

Beautiful pink grapefruit drink in a stemmed glass

Many original cocktails have been invented at the American Bar at the famous Savoy hotel by their bartender Harry Craddock and are featured in their Savoy Cocktail Book along with many other popular drinks. This is one of those non-fussy cocktail recipes that is easy to make because there are only 4 ingredients, so you don’t need to have any crazy mixology talent.

2 martini glasses of a leap year cocktail

This perfect sipping cocktail consists of dry gin (naturally British), Grand Marnier (an orange liqueur), sweet Vermouth, and fresh lemon juice. Added to a cocktail shaker (shaken, not stirred) and served in a chilled cocktail glass. I like it martini-style with a lemon twist from a piece of lemon peel. Simple, elegant, and sophisticated. So raise a glass to the extra day because it won’t be coming around for another 4 years.

Yield: 2

Leap Year Cocktail

A closeup of a yellow cocktail with a twist of lemon rind

Gin, grand marnier, sweet vermouth and fresh lemon juice. Invented in London in the leap year of 1928.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces (118ml) Gin
  • 1 ounce (30 ml) Grand Marnier
  • 1 ounce (30 ml) sweet Vermouth
  • 1 ounce (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
  • Lemon twist for garnish

Instructions

  1. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all the liquids. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
  2. Serve in a chilled glass with lemon twist.

Nutrition Information

Yield

2

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 155Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 2mgCarbohydrates 3gFiber 0gSugar 2gProtein 0g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.