Old Flame
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 20.8% ABV ∙
The Old Flame is a shaken gin cocktail built on gin, triple sec, rosso vermouth, and a red bitter such as Campari, lengthened with fresh orange juice. Bittersweet and silky, with a bright citrus snap up front that softens into a lingering, faintly herbal finish and a warm orange perfume from the flamed twist.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 30 mlTriple sec 15 mlRosso vermouth 15 mlRed bitter 15 mlOrange juice 30 ml
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express flamed an orange twist over the cocktail, then use as garnish
Tips
- Squeeze the orange juice fresh just before shaking; juice that has sat oxidizes and dulls the citrus snap against the bitter and vermouth.
- Pre-chill the martini glass before straining so the drink doesn't lose its chill before the twist is expressed over it.
- Flame the orange twist right over the surface so the aromatic oils land on the drink instead of dissipating into the air.
History
The Old Flame was created in 2001 by New York bartender Dale DeGroff as a softer take on the Negroni. While on a book tour for the first edition of The Craft of the Cocktail, DeGroff paired Negronis with the food at a series of cocktail dinners, but in Texas the drink's bitterness fell flat with a writer and photographer at the table. He reworked the recipe on the spot, adding Cointreau and orange juice to round out the bitterness, and named the result the Fancy Nancy in honor of the photographer, Nancy, who loved it. Entered under the name Old Flame, the same drink won first prize in the Fancy Cocktail category at the 2001 Martini & Rossi Grand Prix in Malaga, Spain, and DeGroff later published it under both names in his book.
FAQ
What is in an Old Flame cocktail?
An Old Flame is made of London dry gin, triple sec, rosso vermouth, a red bitter such as Campari, and fresh orange juice, shaken and fine-strained into a chilled martini glass with a flamed orange twist.
What does an Old Flame taste like?
It is bittersweet and citrus-forward: the red bitter and vermouth give a Negroni-like backbone, while the fresh orange juice softens the edge into a rounder, less austere drink. At about 20.8% ABV, it drinks lighter and juicier than a straight spirit-forward cocktail, finishing on the toasted bitterness of the flamed orange oils.
