Nineteen Twenty
A berry and bitter fortified wine cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 19.1% ABV ∙
The Nineteen Twenty is a stirred cocktail of dry vermouth with smaller measures of kirschwasser and gin, redcurrant syrup and a dash of absinthe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Dry vermouth 40 mlKirschwasser 10 mlLondon dry gin 10 mlRedcurrant syrup 5 mlAbsinthe 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a redcurrant
Tips
- Use just one dash of absinthe; it's there to scent the drink, not to fight the kirschwasser.
History
The Nineteen-Twenty Cocktail dates from the years after Prohibition began in the United States on January 17, 1920, when the Volstead Act outlawed alcohol and sent thirsty Americans abroad to bars like Harry's New York Bar in Paris. The drink first appears in print in Harry MacElhone's 1922 book Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails, built from French vermouth, kirschwasser, gin, groseille (redcurrant) syrup, and a dash of absinthe. It resurfaced with a nearly identical recipe eight years later in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book, which helped cement it among the era's cocktails served to expatriate drinkers at Parisian bars during the dry years in America.
FAQ
What is in a Nineteen Twenty cocktail?
40 ml dry vermouth, 10 ml kirschwasser, 10 ml London dry gin, 5 ml redcurrant syrup and a dash of absinthe. The vermouth, not the gin, is the main pour.
