Satan’s Whiskers

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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 by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals to develop a distinctive, aromatic flavor.

Blood Orange Gin: This is a type of gin made by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals, then infusing it with blood oranges to develop a tangy, citrusy flavor.

Dry Vermouth: This is a type of wine made with white wine and a blend of herbs and botanicals, which are fermented, fortified with a neutral spirit, and then lightly sweetened to develop a crisp, 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.

Triple Sec: This is a liqueur made with bitter orange peels, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, bright citrus flavor.

Orange Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe oranges that has a light, sweet citrus flavor and pale orange color.

Orange Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with orange peels, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop a slightly bitter citrus flavor.

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.