Hanky Panky

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Cocktail History

The Hanky Panky is a classic cocktail that was created in the early 1900s by the legendary female bartender Ada Coleman at The Savoy Hotel in London, England. The recipe is made using a simple mixture of common Prohibition-era ingredient—gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca. Cocktail legend also says its name came to be after Coleman made the drink for a customer who after one sip exclaimed, “By Jove! This is the real hanky panky.”

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Gin: This is a spirit made by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals to develop a distinctive, aromatic flavor.

Sweet Vermouth: This is a type of wine made with red grapes and a blend of herbs and botanicals, which are fermented and then fortified with a neutral spirit and sweetened to develop a rich, grape flavor.

Fernet-Branca: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a proprietary blend of herbs, roots, and spices, including myrrh, saffron, chamomile, and rhubarb, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bitter, menthol flavor.

Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Durham Distillery Conniption American Dry Gin
• 🔗 Dolin Rouge Vermouth De Chambéry
• 🔗 Fernet-Branca

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Mixing Glass: This is a sturdy glass vessel with a wide opening that’s used for stirring cocktails with ice before straining and serving.

Julep Strainer: This is a round metal strainer with a perforated bowl shape and handle that’s used for straining stirred cocktails from a mixing glass while holding back ice and solids.

Bar Spoon: This is a long-handled spoon with a twisted shaft that’s used for stirring cocktails, layering ingredients, and reaching the bottom of tall glasses and mixing vessels.

Peeler: This is a handheld kitchen tool with a sharp blade that’s used for removing thin strips of peel from fruits and vegetables.

Coupe Glass: This is a stemmed glass with a shallow, wide bowl that’s used for serving shaken cocktails and sparkling drinks without ice.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Julep Strainer
• 🔗 Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Piece Peeler Set

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Dark red-ish brown color

• Aroma: Distinct vermouth and citrus

• Taste: Slightly grassy fortified wine with gin botanicals and amaro bitterness

• Finish: Slight menthol and orange notes

Kendall’s Take
“The Hanky Panky definitely feels like a classic cocktail from another era. It’s a bold, spirit-forward drink, but the small addition of Fernet-Branca gives it a surprising amount of complexity for such a simple ingredient list. The herbal note adds depth and keeps the drink from feeling one-dimensional. If you like exploring classic cocktails that really let the spirits shine, this is a fascinating one to try.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Steve The Bartender’s Cocktail Guide by Steve Roennfeldt.