Post #305761 by arriano on Fri, May 11, 2007 3:56 PM

Thought I’d start off a little discussion about when does a change to a cocktail recipe lead to a different cocktail? In other words, how much of a change to a cocktail recipe should be allowed before you’ve created what should be considered a different cocktail?

Certainly, it may be in the eyes of the beholder. But I think most people will agree that if you make a margarita with grand marnier or with triple sec, it’s still a margarita. But what if you, say, make a drink that calls for peach brandy, but use apricot brandy instead? Both are derived from fruits come from the same family, but are still different fruits. Yet, I’ve seen lemon juice swapped for lime juice (or vice versa) without people thinking they’ve invented a new drink.

So I ask, how far can you deviate from a drink recipe, and still call it by the name of the original recipe? Do any of you have your own personal standards that you go by?