The Horse's Neck recipe
for your table
Using a vegetable peeler or zester, cut the peel of a lemon into one long spiral, from top to bottom.
Hang the spiral in the highball glass with the top section over the rim and fill the glass with ice cubes.
Pour 4 cl of cognac over the ice and top up with 12 cl of cold ginger ale.
Stir gently once from the bottom up with a bar spoon to preserve the fizz.
Add a dash of Angostura bitters if desired.
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The story
The Horse's Neck began around 1900 as a non-alcoholic drink: ginger ale with a long strip of lemon peel in the glass. In the 1910s, bartenders began adding brandy or bourbon, and that version was called a horse's neck with a kick or a stiff horse's neck. The stronger version eventually took over, although the alcohol-free version remained available in parts of the United States until the 1950s. According to tradition, Franklin D. Roosevelt sometimes ordered one at receptions, so he could join in without drinking. The IBA classifies the Horse's Neck as a Contemporary Classic and specifies cognac, with Angostura bitters as an option.
The right glass
A highball glass measuring 30 to 35 cl is the right size. It holds 16 cl of liquid, plus ice and a spiral of lemon peel that runs from the bottom to above the rim. A narrow, tall glass retains the fizz longer than a wide glass because there is less surface area for the carbonation to escape. The taller the glass, the better the long peel stands out. Take a look at our highball glasses.
Bormioli Rocco Diamond Highball Glass 47 cl (6 pieces)
Arcoroc Islande Highball Glass 33 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 35,90.
The right tools
For a Horse's Neck, besides the glass, you need a long bar spoon, a jigger for precise measuring, a bitters bottle, a zester for the twist, and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 147,70.
What do you make a Horse's Neck with?
For a Horse's Neck, you need cognac. Popular bottles include Angostura, Hennessy, and Rémy Martin. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Using bourbon instead of cognac gives you the American version, which is sweeter and has more vanilla. Ginger beer instead of ginger ale makes it sharper and fuller, bringing it close to a Dark 'n' Stormy with cognac instead of rum. Leave out the alcohol and you have the original from around 1900. The IBA lists the Angostura as optional; a few dashes add spice and a slightly darker color.
Serving tip
Cut the spiral just before serving, so the peel is still firm and full of oils. Keep the ginger ale in the refrigerator and pour it in along a bar spoon to preserve the fizz. A Horse's Neck pairs well with drinks and snacks, alongside salted nuts or olives.
Good to know
Cutting the lemon spiral
Use an unwaxed lemon with a thick peel and start at the top near the stem. Using a vegetable peeler or channel knife, cut downward around the lemon in one long strip about a centimeter wide, without taking much of the white pith, as it is bitter. Work calmly and rotate the lemon, not the knife. Hang the spiral in the empty glass with the top piece over the rim, and only then add the ice so it stays in place. You can find a channel knife and other tools among our garnish tools.
Which cognac to choose
A young VS or VSOP is enough here. Ginger ale is sweet and spicy and overwhelms the subtle notes of an old XO, so it's better saved for drinking neat. A VSOP has slightly more fruit and oak than a VS and holds up better alongside the ginger. A good French brandy also works; the IBA specifies cognac, but the old recipes simply say brandy. For a cognac drink without fizz, see the French Connection; for a fresh, sour version, see the Sidecar.
Ginger ale or ginger beer
Ginger ale is the official choice: light, clear and mild in flavor, with just enough ginger to support the cognac. Ginger beer is cloudier, sharper and less sweet. It makes the Horse's Neck more powerful, but also less refined, and the cognac quickly fades into the background. For the Moscow Mule and the Dark 'n' Stormy, ginger beer is the standard. With ginger ale, choose a brand with real ginger and not too much sugar, and taste it on its own first before mixing it with the cognac.
Alcohol-free Horse's Neck
The drink started out alcohol-free, so that version isn't a fallback but the original. Hang the lemon spiral in a highball glass with ice and fill with 16 to 20 cl of cold ginger ale. Two dashes of Angostura bitters add spiciness; Angostura does contain alcohol, but in such a small amount that virtually none remains in the glass. If you want to leave it out completely, omit the bitters and rub the rim of the glass with the peel. You can find more alcohol-free drinks among our mocktails.
How much alcohol is in a Horse's Neck
Not much for a cocktail. The 4 cl of 40 percent cognac provides 1.6 cl of pure alcohol, divided over 16 cl of drink plus some meltwater. That comes to about 9 percent in the glass, comparable to a light wine. In weight, it is just over 12 grams of alcohol, slightly more than one standard drink. This makes the Horse's Neck a good choice if you want to take longer over one glass, or as the start of an evening that will continue with more drinks. Want it stronger? Use 5 cl cognac and keep the amount of ginger ale the same.
Horse's Neck for a group
Cutting the twists is the only thing that takes time, so do it in advance and store them covered in the refrigerator. When serving, prepare the glasses with a twist and ice, pour 4 cl cognac into each glass, and top up with 12 cl ginger ale only at the last moment. Do not mix the ginger ale with the cognac in a jug in advance, because the fizz will be gone before the last glass is full. For six glasses, you need 24 cl cognac, just over 72 cl ginger ale, and six lemons.
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Horse's Neck?
A Horse's Neck consists of 4 cl cognac and 12 cl ginger ale, served over ice in a highball glass. The garnish is a long spiral of lemon peel hanging over the rim. The IBA lists a dash of Angostura bitters as optional, for extra spiciness and a darker color.
Why is it called a Horse's Neck?
The name is usually explained by the garnish. The long curl of lemon peel rising from the glass and hanging over the rim resembles the curved neck of a horse. That is why the peel is not a detail: without the twist, you are simply drinking cognac with ginger ale.
Can you make a Horse's Neck with bourbon?
Yes, and that was already the case in the early twentieth century, when brandy and bourbon were both commonly used in this drink. Bourbon makes it sweeter and rounder, with vanilla and caramel. Cognac, as specified by the IBA, gives a drier, fruitier version. Both use the same quantities.
Which glass do you use for a Horse's Neck?
A tall highball glass of 30 to 35 cl. It holds 16 cl of liquid with plenty of ice, and the long lemon twist can run from the bottom to over the rim. A narrow glass also keeps the fizz in the ginger ale longer than a wide one.
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