Bamboo Cocktail (1908 recipe)
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 13.1% ABV ∙
The Bamboo Cocktail (1908 recipe) is a stirred aperitif of equal parts dry vermouth and fino sherry with orange bitters, served up in a coupe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Dry vermouth 45 mlFino sherry 45 mlOrange bitters 2 dashesAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dash (opt.)
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
- Garnish with olives
Tips
- Stir the 45 ml each of vermouth and sherry with ice for a full 30 seconds; with no base spirit here, a warm, under-stirred drink has nothing to hide behind.
- Open a fresh bottle of fino and keep it in the fridge; once opened, it oxidizes fast and goes flat within a week or two.
History
The Bamboo Cocktail (1908 recipe) follows the version printed that year by San Francisco bartender William "Cocktail" Boothby, built from equal parts sherry and vermouth. Boothby credited the drink to Louis Eppinger, and Boothby's recipe codified the sherry-and-vermouth formula for a wider audience rather than changing the drink's basic character.
The Bamboo is generally credited to Eppinger, a German-born bartender who managed the Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan, from 1890. A Bamboo was already being served in New York barrooms by 1886, before he reached Yokohama, so its true origin remains uncertain.
FAQ
What is in a Bamboo Cocktail?
Equal parts dry vermouth and fino sherry, 45 ml each, with two dashes of orange bitters and an optional dash of Angostura.
Is a Bamboo Cocktail shaken or stirred?
Stirred. Vermouth and sherry are clear wines with no juice in the glass, so stirring chills and dilutes them without clouding the drink.
What glass is a Bamboo Cocktail served in?
A coupe glass, served up with no ice in the glass itself.
How strong is a Bamboo Cocktail?
Is a Bamboo Cocktail vegan?
Yes. It is vegan, vegetarian and lactose-free: just dry vermouth, fino sherry and bitters, with nothing from animals.
