London Gypsy
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 38.7% ABV ∙
The London Gypsy stirs London dry gin with Bénédictine and a dash of aromatic bitters, finished with an expressed grapefruit twist. Silky and dense on the tongue, with a honeyed warmth that lingers beneath a bright citrus snap from the freshly expressed oil.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 45 mlBénédictine D.O.M. liqueur 25 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a grapefruit twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Stir until the mixing glass turns frost-cold, roughly 20-30 seconds, so the honeyed liqueur doesn't drink hot.
- Fine strain to keep any ice shards out — the drink is small and spirit-forward, so texture matters.
- Express the grapefruit twist directly over the glass before dropping it in; the oils carry more aroma than the peel itself.
History
The London Gypsy is a gin-based riff on the Gypsy Queen, created by a bartender and later revised in January 2023 with input from fellow drinkers and a formulation tweak credited to John Hinojos. It keeps the parent drink's Bénédictine and Angostura bitters but swaps in gin for a drier, more botanical edge.
The Gypsy Queen itself is generally thought to have originated in New York, with its earliest known appearance traced to a 1938 promotional booklet published by the Russian Tea Room, making it one of the earliest documented vodka cocktails in the United States.
