Stir with ice, strain into chilled Nick & Nora or other cocktail glass.
This recipe has been adapted to modern tastes by doubling the gin, and cutting the other components by 1/2 while holding their relative ratios the same. This is still a sweet, fruity, lush drink--an indulgence. The original 1 : 1 : 1/2 : 1/2 ratios were rather sweet while this version has some alcohol heat. If this seems too spirit-forward, try 1.5 : 3/4 : 3/8 : 3/8 -- in some ways I found this latter the best balance of the three ratios I tried, but I was using Tanqueray. A lower proof gin might provide a better balance at 2 ounces.
St. Raphaël Rouge drew me to this cocktail. It is a richer/more fruity quinquina than Dubonnet or Byrrh and I sometimes find it a preferable substitute for those in cocktails that "just aren't doing it for me." Unfortunately, it is not readily available in the U.S. at this time so I have been ordering bottles from the UK.
This drink is featured in Spanish barman Antonio Josa's excellent 1933 "Cocktelera Universal" and the spelling is retained here. The original proportions are 1 gin: 1 St. Raphael: 1/2 peach brandy, and 1/2 Creme de Cassis. The original proportions make for a very rich drink, not unusual for the time. I increased gin and decreased others proportionately.
By 1947 Pedro Chicote's "Cocktails Mundiales" had changed the same-named drink considerably into a gin/Grand Marnier/cherry brandy mix.