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Hanky Panky
Posted: July 17, 2026
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About
The Hanky Panky is one of the great lost classics of the golden cocktail era — a gin and vermouth partnership given a distinctive bitter twist by Fernet-Branca. Created around 1925 by Ada Coleman, the first female head bartender at the Savoy Hotel's American Bar in London, it was her signature drink for actor Charles Hawtrey, who declared it had 'a real hanky-panky about it.' The small addition of Fernet transforms a standard 50/50 Martini into something medicinal, bittersweet, and utterly unique.
Instructions
- Combine gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca in a mixing glass filled with ice.
- Stir for 30 seconds until well chilled and diluted.
- Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass.
- Garnish with a long orange twist, expressing the oils over the surface before dropping it in.