Bamboo (strong)
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 15.8% ABV ∙
The Bamboo is a stirred, wine-based aperitif cocktail of fino sherry, dry vermouth, and a touch of orange liqueur and bitters, served up in a coupe. Dry and nutty from the sherry, with a bracing herbal edge from the vermouth and a whisper of orange to soften the finish — a low-proof aperitif for before a meal.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Fino sherry 45 mlDry vermouth 45 mlTriple sec 10 mlOrange bitters 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stir with ice for 20-25 seconds only; the sherry and vermouth base is fully diluted and chilled faster than a spirit-forward stir, and over-stirring flattens the delicate fino character.
- Keep fino sherry refrigerated and use an opened bottle within a week, since its low ABV and delicate oxidative style fade quickly and will taste flat if stale.
- Measure the triple sec carefully at just 10 ml, since it is a small accent here and any overpour will oversweeten this otherwise dry, low-ABV equal-parts base.
- Express the orange twist over the drink's surface to release its oils, then run it around the coupe's rim before dropping it in as garnish.
History
This drink is a variation of the Bamboo, a low-alcohol sherry-and-vermouth cocktail whose earliest documented mention appeared in an 1886 newspaper item crediting an unnamed Englishman, and which is most commonly attributed to German-born bartender Louis Eppinger, who is said to have created or popularized it around 1890 while managing the bar at the Grand Hotel in Yokohama, Japan. William T. Boothby's 1908 book, The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them, credited the Bamboo to Eppinger by name, and that account cemented his association with the drink even though some historians note he could have first made it earlier while still working in San Francisco. Early recipes varied in proportion, from an original ratio of three parts sherry to one part vermouth to the equal-parts sherry-and-vermouth format that became standard by the early twentieth century. This variation adds a small measure of triple sec to the sherry-and-vermouth base, giving the classic aperitif a touch more sweetness and strength.
