Cameron’s Kick
Cameron’s Kick is 30ml of blended Scotch, 30ml of Irish whiskey, 22.5ml of fresh lemon juice and 15ml of orgeat, shaken hard with ice for 10 to 12 seconds and double strained into a chilled coupe, with a lemon twist if you like. About 2.4 UK units. The orgeat is made from almonds. It first appears in Harry MacElhone’s Harry of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails in 1922, with nothing said about who Cameron was. MacElhone printed it again in Barflies and Cocktails in 1927, and The Savoy Cocktail Book carried it in 1930. In shape it is a whisky sour with two changes: the base is split between Scotland and Ireland, and orgeat takes the place of sugar. MacElhone used equal parts of lemon and orgeat. We use a little less orgeat, which keeps the finish sharp.
Glassware: Coupe Glass
Garnish: Lemon twist (optional)
Ingredients
30ml
An unpeated blended Scotch at 40% ABV. Smoke would sit on top of the Irish whiskey instead of meeting it.
22.5ml
Squeezed the same day. A little more lemon than orgeat, so the drink finishes sharp.
15ml
A real almond orgeat. It sweetens and adds marzipan and body, and it contains nuts. MacElhone used as much orgeat as lemon; 15ml keeps ours drier.
Instructions
Chill a coupe.
Add both whiskies, the lemon juice and the orgeat to a shaker.
Fill with cubed ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe.
Express a lemon twist over the top if you like.
Our version
MacElhone’s 1922 split of Scotch and Irish whiskey with lemon and orgeat, made with less orgeat than lemon, 15ml to 22.5ml, where he used equal parts, for a drier finish.
Source: our own specification. Last checked 10 October 2026.
Expert Tip
Use an unpeated blended Scotch. Peat smoke sits on top of the Irish whiskey instead of merging with it, and the drink turns into a smoky sour. Keep the two whiskies level. At 30ml each neither leads, and the Scotch’s dry grain and the Irish whiskey’s softer fruit run together. Choose an orgeat whose label lists almonds. It brings body as well as sweetness, which is why the drink needs no egg white. It contains nuts, so check before serving it to anyone with an allergy.
Behind the Cameron’s Kick
Flavour Profile
MacElhone, 1922
Cameron’s Kick first appears in Harry of Ciro’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, published in 1922, with as much orgeat as lemon juice. He printed it again in Barflies and Cocktails in 1927, and The Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930 carried it too.
MacElhone was a Scot who made his name at Ciro’s Club in London and, from 1923, at his own bar in Paris. The book gives no clue to who Cameron was.
Scotland and Ireland, Half Each
Blended Scotch brings dry grain and a little malt. Irish whiskey is softer and fruitier. Even measures stop either one taking over, and the drink tastes of whisky in general more than of either country.
Peat would spoil that. Smoke does not blend; it sits on top. An unpeated blend keeps the two halves even.
Orgeat in a Whisky Sour
Orgeat is a syrup of almonds and sugar, often scented with orange flower water. Used instead of sugar syrup it adds marzipan and a rounder body, which is why the drink feels silky without egg white.
MacElhone used equal lemon and orgeat. We use 22.5ml of lemon to 15ml of orgeat, which keeps the almond present and the finish dry. For his balance, take both to 20ml.
MacElhone’s Recipe, Ours and the Whiskey Sour
Cameron’s Kick in 1922 and ours, beside our Whiskey Sour
Whisky
- MacElhone, 1922
- Scotch and Irish, equal
- Ours
- 30ml Scotch, 30ml Irish
- Whiskey Sour (ours)
- 45ml bourbon
Lemon juice
- MacElhone, 1922
- Equal to the orgeat
- Ours
- 22.5ml
- Whiskey Sour (ours)
- 25ml
Sweetener
- MacElhone, 1922
- Orgeat, equal to the lemon
- Ours
- 15ml orgeat
- Whiskey Sour (ours)
- 20ml sugar syrup
Egg white
- MacElhone, 1922
- None
- Ours
- None
- Whiskey Sour (ours)
- Optional, 15ml
Contains nuts
- MacElhone, 1922
- Yes, almond
- Ours
- Yes, almond
- Whiskey Sour (ours)
- No
UK units
- MacElhone, 1922
- Not stated
- Ours
- About 2.4
- Whiskey Sour (ours)
- About 1.8
| Element | MacElhone, 1922 | Ours | Whiskey Sour (ours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whisky | Scotch and Irish, equal | 30ml Scotch, 30ml Irish | 45ml bourbon |
| Lemon juice | Equal to the orgeat | 22.5ml | 25ml |
| Sweetener | Orgeat, equal to the lemon | 15ml orgeat | 20ml sugar syrup |
| Egg white | None | None | Optional, 15ml |
| Contains nuts | Yes, almond | Yes, almond | No |
| UK units | Not stated | About 2.4 | About 1.8 |
How to Serve It
Shaken hard and double strained into a cold coupe, with a lemon twist or nothing at all. It is short and strong, a drink for before dinner.
For bourbon with lemon and sugar, make a Whiskey Sour; for gin with lemon and orgeat, an Army & Navy; for Scotch with honey, ginger and a smoky float, a Penicillin.
Make it at home
The Spirit
Whisky (Scotch)Scotch is whisky distilled and matured in Scotland, kept in oak for three years at the least, and bottled no weaker than 40% ABV. The law allows only three ingredients, water, malted barley and whole grains of other cereals, and only water and plain caramel colouring may be added later. Fifteen recipes in our library call for it, from the Penicillin and Hot Toddy to the Rob Roy.
Master the Techniques
More to explore
Frequently Asked Questions
What is in a Cameron’s Kick?
Who was Cameron?
Where does Cameron’s Kick come from?
Can I use a peated Scotch?
Does Cameron’s Kick contain nuts?
Why Scotch and Irish together?
How strong is a Cameron’s Kick?
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Army & Navy
An Army & Navy is 60ml of London Dry gin, 22.5ml of fresh lemon juice, 15ml of orgeat and a dash of Angostura, shaken hard and double strained into a chilled coupe, with a lemon twist. About 2.4 UK units. Orgeat is an almond syrup, so the drink contains nuts. It is a gin sour with orgeat in place of sugar. The almond adds body and a marzipan note that plain syrup lacks, and the orange flower water in a good orgeat adds a floral edge. The earliest printed recipe usually cited is in David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks of 1948. He gave what he called the original, two parts gin to one each of lemon and orgeat, said it was horrible, and preferred eight parts gin to two of lemon and one of orgeat. Ours sits between the two. Where the name came from is not recorded.
Whiskey Sour
A Whiskey Sour is 45ml of bourbon, 25ml of fresh lemon juice and 20ml of sugar syrup, shaken hard with ice, then poured through a strainer onto fresh cubes in a rocks glass, with half an orange slice and a cherry. Add 15ml of egg white, dry shaken first, and dot the foam with Angostura. About 1.8 UK units. The measures are the IBA’s. The IBA’s egg white is optional and only a few drops; we use 15ml, about half a white, because that is what a full foam takes. The bitters are not in the IBA recipe, and they only go on when there is foam to hold them. The name is in print by 1870, in a Wisconsin newspaper, and the sour is older still: Jerry Thomas printed brandy, gin and rum sours in 1862. Made with egg white, the drink is sometimes called a Boston Sour.
Irish Coffee
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Where this one sits
Recipe by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 12 October 2026