Sean Thomas

The bitter cocktail of British decline

Rangoon is a symbol of how far we have fallen

  • From Spectator Life
An abandoned British club in Rangoon (iStock)

You can’t get a Pegu in Rangoon any more. That may not sound like a disaster for the ages – nothing, say, compared to the ongoing chancellorship of Rachel Reeves, MP for Blankstare-upon-Derr – but it is quite telling, once you know the background. To explain, the Pegu is a cocktail. Here’s the recipe, if you fancy making one:

  • Take 2 oz of gin.
  • Add ¾ oz of orange curaçao or triple sec.
  • Squeeze ½ oz of fresh lime juice.
  • Include 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
  • Add 1 dash of orange bitters.
  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and combine all the ingredients.
  • Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds until well chilled.
  • Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.

Sounds nice, right? Well, maybe not if you’re in Blighty shivering under 3°C and an overcast sky (why on earth would you do that?), but if you’re in Rangoon sweltering under 33°C cloudless skies, as I am, then this sounds utterly delish.

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