The Army & Navy: A Complete History & Classic Recipe

A warm breeze skims across a polished wooden bar, carrying the bright perfume of lemons and the subtle almond sweetness of orgeat. The bartender lifts a coupe, edges it beneath the shaker, and pours a silky, pale-gold stream that settles with quiet confidence. The drink looks simple—almost modest—but its history is woven through the idiosyncrasies of mid-century America: naval rhythms, club-drink culture, and the slow evolution of orgeat from a Mediterranean tradition to a cocktail-bar essential.

Few cocktails are as understated—and as misjudged—as the Army & Navy. Yet once you taste the perfect balance of gin’s botanical crispness with almond depth and citrus brightness, you realize: this is one of the great American sours.

I. Origins

The Army & Navy first entered public record in the mid-20th century, though its lineage likely predates its printed appearance. Most historians agree it was named after the Army & Navy Club in Washington, D.C.—an elite social club founded in 1885 that catered to high-ranking officers and influential figures in government and society.

Yet the cocktail itself did not originate in the 19th century. Instead, it surfaced in the cocktail canon thanks to David A. Embury’s 1948 classic, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Embury lists the Army & Navy as an example of a formula he admired—spirit, citrus, orgeat—but admits that exact proportions were a matter of taste.

What’s striking is what the drink represents:

• A movement away from sugary Prohibition-era concoctions

• The postwar American embrace of culinary precision

• A growing appreciation for orgeat, which was then an exotic, elegant ingredient

The name, despite its military associations, has little to do with battlefields or barracks. It is instead a nod to the genteel cocktail culture of private clubs—where refined drinkers experimented with classic sour templates and elevated ingredients.

II. Historical Evolution

The Printed Debut

In The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, Embury offered a ratio-driven philosophy for cocktail construction. The Army & Navy fit his ideal formula:

• A strong base spirit (gin)

• A souring agent (lemon)

• A smoothing, flavor-defining sweetener (orgeat)

Early versions varied in sweetness, but Embury’s preference for dry cocktails set a new standard.

Mid-Century Decline

The cocktail fell into obscurity as artificially flavored syrups and convenience mixers surged in the 1960s–1990s. Orgeat, often replaced by almond syrups lacking nuance, lost its culinary prestige.

Modern Revival

The craft cocktail renaissance resurrected the Army & Navy. Artisanal orgeat returned with a vengeance—made from almonds, orange blossom water, and real sugar—unlocking the drink’s intended flavor: floral, nutty complexity balanced with fresh citrus and crisp gin.

Today, the Army & Navy is a benchmark cocktail for evaluating the quality of a bar’s orgeat and the precision of its sour technique.

III. Ingredients & Technique

The Army & Navy succeeds because of its interplay of texture and aroma. Orgeat softens the acidity of lemon while gin’s botanicals weave seamlessly through both.

Gin

A London Dry is classic: juniper-forward, crisp, and clean. Modern citrus-forward gins work beautifully as well, but avoid anything overly floral—orgeat already brings perfume.

Orgeat

True orgeat is the soul of the drink. Made from almonds, sugar, and orange blossom water, it adds creamy mouthfeel, marzipan sweetness, and subtle aromatics. High-quality orgeat transforms the cocktail from “gin sour with almond” into something sophisticated and deeply layered.

Lemon Juice

Freshly squeezed only. Lemon provides structure and brightness, cutting through orgeat’s richness.

Bitters

Many modern recipes (and Embury’s guidance) include a dash of Angostura bitters for structure and spice.

Technique

Shaken hard to integrate orgeat’s viscosity, then fine-strained for a velvet-smooth texture.

IV. Cultural Significance

A Club Drink with Character

The Army & Navy tells the story of mid-century American cocktail refinement—drinks designed not for clandestine speakeasies, but for polished dining rooms and private clubs where longevity mattered more than trendiness.

The Almond Revival

Without this cocktail, orgeat might have remained confined to tiki drinks. Instead, the Army & Navy preserved the ingredient’s relevance in classic sour templates and helped reintroduce American drinkers to almond-based syrups outside the tropical canon.

A Modern Bartender’s Test

In contemporary cocktail bars, the Army & Navy serves as a litmus test:

• If the bar makes its own orgeat, this drink showcases it.

• If the bar values balanced sours, this drink reveals it.

• If the bar respects history, the Army & Navy is likely on the menu.

Its elegance lies in discipline, restraint, and balance—values that define craft mixology today.

V. How to Make the Classic Version Today

Recipe — The Classic Army & Navy

Ingredients

• 2 oz (60 ml) London Dry gin

• ¾ oz (22 ml) fresh lemon juice

• ¾ oz (22 ml) high-quality orgeat

• 1 dash Angostura bitters

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with cold ice.

2. Shake hard for 10–12 seconds to emulsify the orgeat.

3. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.

4. Garnish with a thin lemon twist or expressed zest.

Specs

• Glass: Coupe

• Ice: None (served up)

• Garnish: Lemon peel (expressed or decorative)

• Style: Silky, aromatic, shaken sour

Technique Notes

• Always shake orgeat-based drinks vigorously—proper aeration prevents heaviness.

• Adjust acidity based on the tartness of your lemons.

• Homemade orgeat (almonds + sugar + orange blossom water) elevates the cocktail dramatically.

• Overly sweet store-bought syrups can destroy balance—taste before mixing.

Variations & Lineage

• Use aged gin → Richer, more spice-driven profile

• Add a bar spoon of maraschino → Cherry-almond dimension

• Swap bitters for orange bitters → Brighter, more citrus-led version

• Replace gin with pisco → Floral, aromatic South American riff

• Add egg white → Army & Navy Fizz (silkier, more dessert-like)

Service & Pairing Tip

• Excellent with Mediterranean dishes, grilled fish, roast chicken, or almond-based pastries.

• Avoid extremely sweet desserts—they dull the cocktail’s aromatic complexity.

VI. Modern Variations & Legacy

The Almond Renaissance

The return of quality orgeat has elevated the Army & Navy from obscurity to center stage, proving that “simple” ingredients can yield extraordinary results when handled with respect.

Craft Bar Favorite

Its structure—spirit + citrus + orgeat + bitters—is now considered a template for experimentation. Bartenders riff by swapping citrus, infusing orgeat, or changing the bitters profile.

Enduring Legacy

The Army & Navy persists because it is timeless: balanced, elegant, and grounded in the sour tradition that defines much of classic American mixology. It bridges the gap between tiki and pre-tiki, between austerity and richness, between clubroom and cocktail bar.

The drink is a quiet statement: mastery doesn’t require flash—it requires precision.