Dale DeGroff | King Cocktail
Dale DeGroff Jr.

Bartender

FAVORITE DRINKS
Stinger  •  Irish Coffee  •  Sidecar

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Nicknames

King Cocktail

First Name

Dale

Last Name

DeGroff

Birth Date

Age

75

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Current Location

Known For

Rainbow Room, The Craft of the Cocktail, The Museum of the American Cocktail

Dale DeGroff's Biography

Dale DeGroff, often known by his nickname “King Cocktail,” is one of the founding fathers of the craft cocktail movement. Primarily while working as a bartender at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York, he revived numerous classic cocktail recipes that had fallen out of favor over the course of the 20th century.

DeGroff has won several awards for his work, including two James Beard Awards, two Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, and a Julia Child Award for his book The Craft of the Cocktail. His work is often credited with the modern renaissance of classic craft cocktails, and he is a seminal figure in the industry. In 2005, he co-founded the Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans.

What Dale DeGroff Drinks

Stinger

Brandy, White Crème De Menthe

The Stinger is a classic cocktail known as a "duo," made with a fantastic combination of brandy and white crème de menthe.

Irish Coffee

Irish Whiskey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Coffee, Unsweetened Whipped Cream

The Irish Coffee is an exceedingly simple cocktail, consisting of Irish whiskey, coffee, a bit of brown sugar simple syrup, and some optional unsweetened whipped cream (preferably homemade).

Sidecar

Cognac, Cointreau, Lemon Juice

The Sidecar is a Prohibition-era classic cocktail made with cognac, and having a sweet and citrusy flavor profile.

“When a guest walks through the door, you give them a wave and a smile, even if the bar is three or four deep. It’s the difference between keeping and losing a customer.”

-Dale DeGroff