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This is the first in an occasional column on drinks made from the legendary 1930 "Savoy Cocktail Book."I touched a first edition of "The Savoy Cocktail Book" once in the late '80s. I was a teenager and found it on a dusty shelf at John K. King Books in downtown Detroit. I fell in love with its foil cover and colorful Art Deco designs. And then I noticed the price: $45. Too much for a sober middle school student from southeastern Michigan. I put it back. But I never quite got over that first electrifying encounter.
We all have foodie passions; one of mine happens to be old cocktail books. And so almost two decades since I fell for the "Savoy," I have finally gotten my hands on a beat-up first edition and I want to bring you Slashfoodies along for the ride.
I asked a few mixologists what should be the maiden cocktail voyage for me and Savoy. It was Gary Regan who came up with the winner: The Hanky Panky.
The Savoy of the title is that swank London hotel renowned for its experimentation in the liquid arts. The book came out at a time when Americans were still languishing under Prohibition's dry spell. Others have attempted to make all the cocktails in the book. Here at Slashfood, I'm going to be choosy, and regularly ask for advice from professionals.
A few days after Regan suggested the Hanky Panky -- a blend of the Italian digestive Fernet Branca, sweet vermouth and gin -- I asked him why.
"I've been drinking Hanky Panky cocktails of late, so they are on my mind," he said. "The Hanky Panky can be hard to balance, but when it's done correctly, it's fabulous."
Ada Coleman, the hotel's head bartender from 1903 to 1926, created the drink for a customer who was tired of the same-old cocktails and wanted something with more punch, Regan said."It was for him that I spent hours experimenting until I had invented a new cocktail," Coleman said according to Regan. "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!'"
Today, the Hanky Panky does require an investment, with the Fernet Branca at $28 a bottle being the big one. I was torn as to what gin to use and ended up sticking with one of my favorites, Tanqueray.
The cocktail does have "punch," but the bitterness of the Fernet Branca is undercut by the orange peel and the sweet Italian vermouth.
What cocktail should I try next? Let me know in the comments section.
Sara Bonisteel is an editor at AOL Food.
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5-13-2009 @5:50PM erik_flannestad said... Well, having made and blogged over half of the Cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, I can say with some certainty that there is no real best place to start or method to use to select cocktails. My best advice is to use your best instincts and not interpret the instructions too literally. For example, the Hanky Panky is a much better cocktail stirred than it is shaken. Best of luck, I look forward to following your adventure!
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9-23-2009 @10:34PM dan said... How about an Aviation, but with one of the violet liquors included?
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5-14-2009 @12:36PM Dinah said... Good to see Erik chiming in here; no one knows Savoy like he does.
His commentary on technique, measurement, and lost ingredient substitution is of great value to anyone interested in this work.
All his posts on the topic are here
http://underhill-lounge.flannestad.com/category/savoy-cocktail-book/
You can begin at the beginning as he did here in May 2007, with The Abbey Cocktail
http://underhill-lounge.flannestad.com/2007/05/27/the-abbey-cocktail/
And you can usually jump straight to his comments on a particular drink by googling the drink name, plus savoy, plus Underhill. For example:
http://underhill-lounge.flannestad.com/2008/11/29/hanky-panky-cocktail/
Note that you'll only find the part of the book he's already done. As of today he's up to the Old Etonian.
Thanks for reminding me of this drink; we'll have to mix one up, perhaps AFTER we weather SF Cocktail Week. ;)
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5-16-2009 @5:39PM ammca66564 said... You need to read another cocktail classic: "The Hour" by Bernard DeVoto, noted commentator, essayist and humorist of the mid 20th century. It's DeVoto's mediation on the importance of having a drink in a civilized fashion. A must read.
(Apparently others agree: the "collectible" editions on Amazon start at $107!)
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6-02-2009 @4:47AM Beefeater said... Great article.. This is one of our favourite cocktails. We have just created an instructional video direct from the Beefeater Distillery showing you how to make this exact cocktail. http://www.beefeatergin.com/mixology/video.php?passlda=true
Great read..
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