The hanky panky is a

cocktail A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink. Most commonly, cocktails are either a combination of spirits, or one or more spirits mixed with other ingredients such as tonic water, fruit juice, flavored syrup, or cream. Cocktails vary widely across ...

made from

gin Gin () is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its flavour from juniper berries (''Juniperus communis''). Gin originated as a medicinal liquor made by monks and alchemists across Europe, particularly in southern Italy, Flanders and the Ne ...

sweet vermouth Vermouth (, ) is an aromatized fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid- to late 18th cent ...

, and

Fernet-Branca Fernet-Branca () is an Italian brand of fernet, a style of ''amaro (liqueur), amaro'' or bitters. It was formulated in Milan in 1845, and is manufactured there by Fratelli Branca, Fratelli Branca Distillerie. History Fernet-Branca was formulat ...

. It is a variation on the sweet martini, made distinctive by the Fernet-Branca, a bitter Italian digestivo. It was created by Ada "Coley" Coleman, head bartender at the

Savoy Hotel The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 188 ...

, London.

Recipe

A recipe for the cocktail was included in

Harry Craddock Harry Craddock (29 August 1876 – 25 January 1963) was an English bartender who became one of the most famous bartenders of the 1920s and 1930s. He is known for his tenure at the Savoy Hotel in London, and for his 1930 book, ''The Savoy Cocktail ...

's ''

The Savoy Cocktail Book The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand, London, Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened ...

''. :''In a cocktail shaker over ice pour:'' * ( oz) Italian vermouth * ( oz) dry gin *2 dashes

:''Stir'' :''Strain into a (4 oz.) cocktail glass.'' :''Garnish by squeezing an orange peel over the top.''

History

The hanky panky was the brainchild of

Ada Coleman Ada Coleman (1875–1966) was head bartender at the Savoy Hotel in London for 23 years, one of only two women to have held that position. While working at the Savoy, she invented the " hanky panky", a distinctive variation on the sweet martin ...

(known as "Coley") who began as a bartender at the

in 1903. Her benefactor was

Rupert D'Oyly Carte Rupert D'Oyly Carte (3 November 1876 – 12 September 1948) was an English hotelier, theatre owner and impresario, best known as proprietor of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Savoy Hotel from 1913 to 1948. Son of the impresario and hotelier R ...

, a member of the family that first produced

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

operas in London and that built the Savoy Hotel. When Rupert became chairman of the Savoy, Ada was given a position at the hotel's

American Bar The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand, London, Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened ...

, where she eventually became the head bartender and made cocktails for the likes of

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

, the Prince of Wales, Prince Wilhelm of Sweden, and Sir Charles Hawtrey. Coleman created the hanky panky for Hawtrey. He was a Victorian and Edwardian actor who mentored

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

. Coleman told the story behind the creation of the hanky panky to England's ''

The People The ''Sunday People'' is a British tabloid Sunday newspaper. It was founded as ''The People'' on 16 October 1881. At one point owned by Odhams Press, The ''People'' was acquired along with Odhams by the Mirror Group in 1961, along with the ' ...

'' newspaper in 1925:

The late Charles Hawtrey ... was one of the best judges of cocktails that I knew. Some years ago, when he was overworking, he used to come into the bar and say, "Coley, I am tired. Give me something with a bit of punch in it." It was for him that I spent hours experimenting until I had invented a new cocktail. The next time he came in, I told him I had a new drink for him. He sipped it, and, draining the glass, he said, "By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!", And Hanky-Panky it has been called ever since.

The hanky panky is a variation on the sweet martini, inasmuch as it calls for gin and

, but Coley's

secret ingredient A secret ingredient is a component of a product that is closely guarded from public disclosure for competitive advantage. Sometimes the ingredient makes a noticeable difference in the way a product performs, looks or tastes; other times it is u ...

that made the drink distinctive was Fernet-Branca, a bitter Italian digestivo.

References

External links

* * {{IBACocktails Cocktails with gin Cocktails with vermouth

Recipe

History

See also

References

External links