Hocus Pocus
A sweet and bitter gin cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 28.8% ABV ∙
The Hocus Pocus is a stirred cocktail of London dry gin, sweet vermouth and orange curaçao, with 5 ml of Fernet Branca for a bitter edge.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 60 mlCarpano Antica Formula vermouth 20 mlOrange curaçao liqueur 20 mlFernet Branca liqueur 5 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with an orange twist
Tips
- Keep the Fernet Branca to 5 ml; a few drops more and its menthol bitterness takes over the gin and curaçao.
History
The Hocus Pocus traces to a drink found in 2010 at Forty Four, a bar in New York City. It builds on the Hanky Panky, the gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca cocktail created by Ada Coleman, head bartender at the Savoy Hotel's American Bar in London in the early 1900s. Coleman's original was a variation on the sweet martini given extra bite from Fernet-Branca. The Hocus Pocus reworks that formula by bringing in orange curaçao alongside the vermouth, softening and citrus-brightening the profile while keeping the Fernet as a bittering accent.
FAQ
What is a Hocus Pocus drink?
A stirred gin cocktail in the Hanky Panky line: sweet vermouth and orange curaçao soften the gin, and a little Fernet Branca adds a bittersweet edge. It is served up in a chilled coupe with an orange twist.
What are the ingredients in the Hocus Pocus cocktail?
60 ml London dry gin, 20 ml sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica Formula), 20 ml orange curaçao liqueur and 5 ml Fernet Branca.
