Pegu Club (cocktail)


The Pegu Club or the Pegu is a gin-based cocktail that was the signature drink of Burma's Pegu Club. The club was located just outside Rangoon, and its members were those Britons who were senior government and military officials and prominent businessmen. The club was named after the Pegu, a Burmese river. The recipe appears in the Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930 by Harry Craddock as "The Pegu Club Cocktail," and the 1930 edition of Cocktails by "Jimmy" late of Ciro's London as "Pegu Club." However, it appears to be first listed in Barflies and Cocktails by Harry McElhone of the famous Harry's New York Bar in Paris.
The Pegu Club is best served in a chilled glass and is considered a hot weather drink. Its taste is reminiscent of grapefruit and some bartenders will garnish it with a twist of grapefruit peel or slice of fresh grapefruit, although it is commonly served with a slice of lime to complement the lime juice in the drink.
The Pegu Cocktail has all but disappeared from memory in present-day Myanmar, however there has been a resurgence in awareness and availability due to tourism.