Kangaroo
A dry and balanced vodka cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 28.2% ABV ∙
The Kangaroo is a vodka Martini variation, stirred with dry vermouth and an optional dash of orange bitters, then finished with an expressed lemon twist.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Vodka 60 mlDry vermouth 15 mlOrange bitters 1 dash (opt.)
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stir with ice for about 30 seconds; that's enough to chill and dilute it.
History
The Kangaroo is essentially a vodka martini, a pairing that was already appearing in the early 1930s. In 1943, Oscar Haimo, then head bartender at the Pierre Hotel in New York City, published the drink in his book Cocktail Digest under the name "Kangaroo Kicker," said to honor the Australian troops fighting alongside the Allies in World War II. It was a period when vodka was being pushed partly in anticipation of a wartime gin shortage. The following year, Crosby Gaige shortened the name to "Kangaroo Cocktail" in his 1944 Standard Cocktail Guide.
The name appeared again in Lucius Beebe's 1946 Stork Club Bar Book, but usage faded quickly afterward: David A. Embury's 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks lists the same vodka-and-vermouth combination simply as a "Vodka Martini," and the Kangaroo name is absent from his original edition. Some retellings claim "Kangaroo" was the original name for the vodka martini itself, but the vodka martini is documented in print roughly a decade before Haimo's "Kangaroo Kicker" appeared, so that claim is not supported by the record. By the late 1940s the nickname had largely disappeared, with the drink becoming known simply as a vodka martini or "vodkatini."
FAQ
Why is a vodka Martini called a Kangaroo?
The name traces to Oscar Haimo's 1943 book Cocktail Digest, which printed the drink as the "Kangaroo Kicker," said to honor Australian troops fighting alongside the Allies in World War II.
What is in a Kangaroo cocktail?
Vodka 60 ml and dry vermouth 15 ml, with an optional dash of orange bitters.
Is a Kangaroo shaken or stirred?
Stirred, with ice for about 30 seconds. That chills and dilutes it while keeping it clear and silky; shaking would leave it aerated and cloudy.
What glass is a Kangaroo served in?
A Martini glass, pre-chilled before the drink is strained in, since there is no ice in the finished pour to keep it cold.
