Ingredients
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4,5 cl of gin
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4,5 cl of sweet vermouth
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2 drops of fernet Branca bitter
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orange peel
Directions
The Hanky Panky cocktail is a great drink, one of the most exciting creations of the 1900s, thanks to a dry, bittering, herbaceous, yet extremely elegant flavor.
The ingredients of the Hanky Panky cocktail are classic: gin and sweet vermouth, but there is a peculiarity it is one of the few cocktails made with fernet. It’s a Sweet Martini with identical doses of gin and vermouth, but the addition of Fernet Branca is a stroke of genius. With its herbaceous taste, it cuts vermouth and adds splendid menthol flavors, making the cocktail less sweet and sharper.
History of the Hanky Panky cocktail
Another particularity that we mention with great joy is that this drink was invented by a woman. The legendary Ada Coleman, historic bartender of the Savoy American Bar in London, invented the Hanky Panky cocktail in the early 1900s and had it tested by Sir Charles Hawtrey, whose palate she had great esteem. And the famous actor exclaimed: “By Jupiter, this is a real Hanky Panky!” And from what moment it became his name.
The Hanky Panky recipe we provide is the one Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book, a true encyclopedist of mixology and a tireless chronicler, thanks to who we have many written recipes of these immortal classics.
Ingredients and doses for making the Hanky Panky cocktail
- 4,5 cl of gin
- 4,5 cl of sweet vermouth
- 2 drops of Fernet Branca
- orange peel
How to make the Hanky Panky cocktail
Put the gin, fernet, and sweet vermouth in the shaker with ice, shake quickly and pour into a cold cup. Squeeze over the orange peel to flavor the cocktail with the essential oils of the orange.
Variants
A higher dose of fernet can be added up to 1.5 cl. Some have proposed a variant of Hanky Panky with lemon juice. Lemon juice and fernet are a delicious mix, but the result is fairly tannic and not everyone likes it.
Suggested food pairings
Grilled cheese sandwich; parmigiana ravioli, spaghetti with clams, chicken tikka masala, Chicken Cacciatore, Vitello Tonnato, truffle risotto, pasta alla carbonara, paella mixta.
Gin cocktail you should try
Gin and Tonic, Bramble, Ramos Gin Fizz, Singapore Sling, Negroni, Tuxedo, Bronx, Gin Fizz, Dry Martini, Tom Collins, French 75.
