Hanky Panky
A bitter and dry cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 24.4% ABV ∙
The Hanky Panky is a stirred gin cocktail of equal parts London dry gin and sweet vermouth with a touch of Fernet Branca, finished with an orange twist.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 45 mlRosso vermouth 45 mlFernet Branca liqueur 8 ml
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with an orange twist
Tips
- Keep the Fernet Branca to 8 ml; a few drops more and its bitterness runs right over the gin and vermouth.
History
The Hanky Panky was created by Ada "Coley" Coleman, head bartender of the American Bar at London's Savoy Hotel, where she took charge in 1903 and served until 1926. Coleman said she developed the drink after the actor Sir Charles Hawtrey, a regular at the bar, asked her for something with "a bit of punch in it," and spent hours experimenting before serving him a mix of gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca. Tasting it, Hawtrey reportedly exclaimed "By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!," and the name stuck, using a period slang term for trickery or magic rather than its later racier meaning.
Coleman recounted the story to a London newspaper in 1925, shortly before her retirement. Some accounts place the drink's creation around 1921, the same year Hawtrey was producing and starring in the comedy Ambrose Applejohn's Adventure. Most other accounts simply date the drink to the early 1900s.
The recipe was first published in Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book (1930), though Craddock's text does not credit Coleman by name. The drink is considered a variation on the sweet martini, made distinctive by the addition of Fernet-Branca, a bitter Italian digestivo.
FAQ
What is in a Hanky Panky cocktail?
Equal parts London dry gin and Rosso vermouth, 45 ml each, plus 8 ml of Fernet Branca.
How do you make a Hanky Panky drink?
Pre-chill a cocktail glass, then stir the gin, vermouth, and Fernet Branca with ice until well-diluted and cold. Strain into the chilled glass and garnish with an orange twist expressed over the top.
Is a Hanky Panky shaken or stirred?
Stirred. It is all spirit and vermouth with no juice, so you stir it with ice until cold and diluted, then strain it up. Shaking would add air and cloud a drink meant to look clear and glossy.
What kind of gin is best for a Hanky Panky?
A London dry gin is the standard choice, since its juniper-forward, dry character stands up to the sweet vermouth and Fernet Branca without getting lost. A softer or more floral gin style tends to fade against the Fernet's intensity.
What makes a Hanky Panky unique?
The Fernet Branca. Just 8 ml of it makes a simple gin and sweet vermouth drink minty and bitter rather than sweet. It drinks strong, at about 24.4% ABV, with a dry, lingering finish.
