Hanky Panky
Two parts gin, two parts sweet vermouth, two dashes of Fernet — invented by the first woman to head the Savoy's American Bar.
Time
4 min
Difficulty
Easy
Glass
Nick & Nora
Method
Stirred
The Method
How to make it
- 01
Chill a Nick & Nora glass.
- 02
Add gin, sweet vermouth, and two dashes of Fernet to a mixing glass with ice.
- 03
Stir for 25–30 seconds.
- 04
Strain into the chilled glass.
- 05
Express the orange peel over the surface, then drop it in.
Bartender's Tip
Fernet is the loudest ingredient in any cocktail it touches. Measure the dashes — don't free-pour — and stir long enough to fully integrate it. Under-stirred Hanky Pankys taste medicinal.
A Little History
Created in 1903 by Ada 'Coley' Coleman, head bartender of London's Savoy American Bar and the first woman to hold the post. Built for actor Charles Hawtrey, who reportedly tasted it and said: 'By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky.' The name stuck and the recipe went into the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.
