Adele Special Recipe ｜ The Easy 2-Ingredient Whisky Cocktail

An amber Adele Special cocktail served on the rocks in a rocks glass at a dimly lit bar counter

Adele Special carries a name with three competing stories: some trace it to French for “a special farewell,” others to a regular customer named Adele, still others simply to the mood the name evokes. Whichever you believe, this pairing genuinely delivers a lingering finish that fits a farewell mood well.

Scotch’s smoky depth meets orange curaçao’s bright sweetness, and as the ice slowly melts, the glass keeps evolving, shifting its character sip by sip.

Pour one tonight, a quiet cocktail built for unhurried time.

Table of Contents

Recipe & Method

Ingredients

Multiple rows of spirit bottles on backlit bar shelves against an exposed brick wall

Recipe no.050

Scotch whisky — 1 + 1/2 oz (45ml)
Orange curaçao — 1/2 oz (15ml)
Orange slices

Instructions

A bartender in a black apron stirring a cocktail in a mixing glass with a long bar spoon

Step

Prep

Fill an old fashioned glass with ice and swirl it around to chill the glass, then discard any excess water.

Step

Combine

Add the scotch whisky and orange curaçao to the well-chilled glass.

Step

Stir

Stir well, add the orange slices, and it’s done.

How to Stir

Technique ｜ Stir
Glass ｜ Old Fashioned glass
ABV ｜ Roughly 34–35%
Best Enjoyed ｜ Daytime
Style ｜ On the Rocks

Adele Special in Detail, with Video

Origins

A woman sitting at a bar counter, smiling while holding a glass of whisky, with a lamp glowing beside her

Here’s the twist worth knowing upfront: nobody actually knows where the name “Adele” comes from. Despite that, a few theories persist.

The French theory — some trace it to a blend of the French words “adieu” (farewell) and “spécial” (special), which would make “Adele Special” essentially mean “a special farewell.”
The named-woman theory — others believe it was created at a particular bar or restaurant and named after a regular customer called Adele.
The impression theory — a third camp simply holds that the drink’s flavor matched the image the name “Adele” evoked.

Whichever story you believe, this pairing of scotch whisky with orange curaçao genuinely delivers a lingering finish that fits a “special farewell” mood rather well. Orange curaçao’s sweetness draws out scotch’s depth, resulting in a cocktail that’s simple in makeup but rich in character. I’d call this a great entry point for whisky beginners — the aroma and finish do a lot of the work here.

Flavor & Character

A woman's hand holds a ridged rocks glass containing whiskey on the rocks near a sunlit window.

Adele Special is built from just two ingredients — scotch whisky and orange curaçao — yet the glass keeps evolving as the ice slowly melts, shifting its character sip by sip.

Scotch whisky brings smoky peat, malty sweetness, and the complexity that comes from long aging. The first thing you notice is that rich aroma and deep body. Orange curaçao then steps in, wrapping the whisky’s intensity in bright citrus sweetness and a fresh, floral aroma.

Take a sip and orange’s sweet fragrance rises first, followed by whisky’s depth settling in comfortably. The texture is smooth going down, and the finish leaves citrus brightness intertwined with whisky’s smokiness in genuinely satisfying balance. Even drinkers who find whisky too heavy on its own tend to find this approachable, since curaçao’s sweetness lightens the whole experience. This is a cocktail built for a quiet bar counter and unhurried time.

Points, Twists & Food Pairings

Two dark chocolate squares with a leaf-embossed design, resting on a white wooden surface surrounded by scattered whole coffee beans

Points — A common mistake is skipping the glass-chilling step, which lets the ice melt too fast and dilute the drink before you’ve even finished pouring. Swirl ice in the glass first and discard the water — this alone makes a noticeable difference in how long the drink stays properly balanced.

Twists —

Peaty Version — Use an Islay Scotch like Laphroaig for a smokier, more assertive character beneath the orange sweetness.
Citrus Zest Finish — Express an orange peel over the glass before serving to add a bright aromatic lift.
Bitters Boost — Add a dash of orange bitters to deepen the citrus notes and add subtle complexity.

Best Pairings —

Dark chocolate — its bitterness plays beautifully against the drink’s orange sweetness, echoing the classic chocolate-orange pairing.
Smoked almonds — the smoky, savory crunch mirrors scotch’s peat character while contrasting with the curaçao’s brightness.
Aged Gouda — its nutty, caramel-like depth complements the whisky’s richness, and I’d genuinely serve this pairing to close out a quiet evening.