Rolls Royce
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 25% ABV ∙
The Rolls Royce is a perfect Martini variation of London dry gin, dry and sweet vermouth, and a barspoon of Bénédictine, stirred and served up.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 45 mlDry vermouth 20 mlRosso vermouth 20 mlBénédictine D.O.M. liqueur 5 mlBoker’s bitters 2 dashes
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express a lemon twist over the cocktail and use as garnish
Tips
- Give it a full 30 seconds of stirring over ice; the two vermouths and the Bénédictine need that chill and water to come together smoothly.
- The Bénédictine is only 5 ml, and it should stay that way; its honeyed spice is there to support the gin, not bury the vermouths.
History
The Rolls Royce cocktail first achieved prominence in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, though the publication notably dropped the automaker's trademark hyphen. Culturally, the drink was part of a broader early 20th-century bartending trend of naming cocktails after fast, modern marvels of engineering, mirroring the creation of peers like the Bentley and the Aviation. Structurally, it functioned as an early 20th-century evolution of the "perfect Martini" template that had emerged in the 1910s.
During the modern craft cocktail revival of the 2010s, New York bartender William Elliott rediscovered the obscure classic, ultimately introducing a heavily adapted, contemporary version at his Lower East Side establishment, Tigre. This Rolls Royce recipe is the Savoy version, not Elliott's. The book lists no bitters, and the Boker's bitters come from modern adaptations.
FAQ
What are the ingredients in a Rolls-Royce cocktail?
45 ml London dry gin, 20 ml dry vermouth, 20 ml sweet (rosso) vermouth, 5 ml Bénédictine, and 2 dashes of Boker's bitters.
Is a Rolls Royce shaken or stirred?
Stirred. The original Savoy recipe was shaken, but a clear, spirit-forward Martini variation is better stirred: it stays silky and clear instead of clouding with air.
What glass is a Rolls Royce served in?
A chilled coupe, served up without ice and finished with a lemon twist.
How long does it take to make a Rolls Royce?
About two to three minutes: stir the gin, both vermouths, Bénédictine, and bitters with ice for roughly 30 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe, and garnish with a lemon twist.
What is a Rolls Royce cocktail?
A gin Martini variation recorded in The Savoy Cocktail Book. It splits the vermouth between dry and sweet, which makes it a perfect Martini, and a little Bénédictine adds honey and spice.
