This post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy here.
Cocktail History
The Satan’s Whiskers is a classic cocktail that is believed to have been created by Eddie Brandsetter in the early 1900s at his establishment the Embassy Club in Hollywood, California. It is essentially a variation of the Bronx made with gin, vermouth, and citrus, but it adds triple sec to the mix for additional tartness.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. I used Prairie Organic Spirits Navy Strength Gin.
Blood Orange Gin: This is a spirit made with blood oranges, juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. I used Whitley Neill Blood Orange Gin.
Dry Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. I used Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry.
Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. I used Dolin Vermouth de Chambery Rouge.
Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter oranges, lemons, sugar, and alcohol. I used Cointreau.
Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. I used freshly squeezed orange juice.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Orange Bitters.
Orange Peel: This the peel of an orange that has been cut into a strip.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Bright orange color
• Aroma: Citrus, juniper, and wine
• Taste: Strong and sweet orange flavor intertwined with botanical gin and fortified wine
• Finish: More tart citrus
Kendall’s Take: “The original recipe for the Satan’s Whiskers called for a dry gin, but I took the citrus flavor one step further by using a split base of regular gin and blood orange gin. This change made the recipe very sweet and citrusy yet still dry, which I liked. I do think the triple sec was a little overpowering even with the added punch of the blood orange, but overall, it’s still a great gin cocktail.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
Satan’s Whiskers
Description
The Satan's Whiskers is a classic cocktail that is believed to have been created by Eddie Brandsetter in the early 1900s at his establishment the Embassy Club in Hollywood, California. It is essentially a variation of the Bronx made with gin, vermouth, and citrus, but it adds triple sec to the mix for additional tartness.
Ingredients
Method
Add gin, blood orange gin, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, triple sec, orange juice, and orange bitters to a shaker.
Fill shaker with cubed ice.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Using a Hawthorne and fine mesh strainer, strain into a martini or coupe glass.
Garnish with orange peel.
