The recipe
for your table
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with plenty of ice.
Stir for 25 to 30 seconds until the mix is ice-cold.
Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass or small coupe.
Squeeze an orange zest over the glass and let it drop in - this aroma completes the cocktail.
The story
In the early twentieth century, Ada 'Coley' Coleman was head bartender at the American Bar in the Savoy Hotel - a woman at the top of the bar world, long before that was taken for granted. For actor Charles Hawtrey, who asked for 'something with a proper kick' after long working days, she experimented until she found this mix. Hawtrey took a sip and exclaimed: "By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!" The name stuck, as did the recipe: more than a century later, Coleman's creation is still on the menu at the Savoy and in every bar that knows its classics.
The right glass
The Hanky Panky is a stirred cocktail served without ice in the glass, so serving it in a stemmed glass is essential. A 14 cl Nick & Nora glass keeps this potent mix compact and cold, exactly as Ada Coleman served it. The narrow opening brings together the interplay of herbs and orange. Also beautiful: a small vintage coupe with a touch of art deco flair from the same period. Prefer a small vintage coupe for this classic? Take a look at our champagne coupe glasses.
Bormioli Rocco America'20S Liqueur Glass 14 cl Nick And Nora (6 pieces)
RCR Melodia Port Glass Nick And Nora 14 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets — together € 66,90.
The right tools
For a Hanky Panky, besides the glass, you need a mixing glass, a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, and a cocktail strainer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools — together € 81,75.
Variations & twists
Play with the Fernet dosage: half a barspoon for beginners, a full tablespoon for enthusiasts. Using Branca Menta instead of Fernet-Branca gives it a mint-fresh undertone. Serve it as a digestif – the herbal bitter does exactly what it should after a heavy dinner. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Fernet-Branca is intense: two barspoons are just enough for complexity without letting the bitterness dominate. The orange zest is not optional but essential.
The ratio: equal parts plus two spoons
Gin and sweet vermouth go in exactly equal parts here, 4.5 cl and 4.5 cl, and that is deliberate: the vermouth should not merely support the gin but match it. The Fernet-Branca is added on top with two barspoons, about 1 cl in total, or one-ninth of the whole. That seems like little and is exactly enough. Half a barspoon more and the bitterness takes over the entire glass; half less and all you taste is a sweet martini. Measure the Fernet with a barspoon, therefore, rather than pouring a splash straight from the bottle.
How strong is a Hanky Panky
Expect about 23 percent ABV in the glass. Gin at 40 percent and Fernet-Branca at 39 percent do most of the work, the vermouth at around 16 percent softens it, and stirring adds about 20 percent water. In a filled 14 cl Nick and Nora glass, that amounts to roughly 3 cl of pure alcohol, equivalent to a little more than two standard drinks. That is a lot for a drink that can go down in four sips. Serve it as an aperitif or digestif, therefore, and not as the first of a long series.
Hanky Panky, Sweet Martini or Martinez
Remove the Fernet-Branca and you're left with a Sweet Martini: gin with sweet vermouth, nothing else. That is precisely Ada Coleman's point, because those two barspoons of bitters transform a friendly classic into something herbal and dark. The Martinez takes a different path, with maraschino and bitters instead of Fernet, sweeter and more cherry-toned. Taste the three one after another and you immediately hear what a single ingredient does to a basic recipe. Stir all three for 25 to 30 seconds and serve without ice in the glass.
What is Fernet-Branca and where can you buy it
Fernet-Branca is an Italian herbal bitter from Milan, made with 27 herbs since 1845, and at 39 percent alcohol it is one of the strongest amari available. On its own, it is almost medicinal; in this cocktail, it provides exactly the counterbalance the vermouth needs. You can find it at any well-stocked liquor store and larger supermarkets, and a 70 cl bottle makes about seventy cocktails at this usage rate. If you do not have any fernet at home, Branca Menta comes closest, with a minty twist.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Hanky Panky drink?
A Hanky Panky is a stirred gin cocktail made with 4.5 cl gin, an equal amount of sweet red vermouth and two bar spoons of Fernet-Branca, finished with a squeezed orange zest. The herbal bitter gives the classic sweet Martini a dark, bitter undertone. Serve it without ice in a stemmed glass; see our Nick and Nora glasses.
Which classic cocktail consists of gin and vermouth?
The Martini and the sweet Martini are the best known, and the Hanky Panky is their herbal variant: equal parts gin and sweet red vermouth, plus two bar spoons of Fernet-Branca. All three are stirred for 25 to 30 seconds in a mixing glass with plenty of ice and then poured without ice.
What is Fernet-Branca and what can you replace it with?
Fernet-Branca is a jet-black Italian herbal bitter, distilled in Milan from dozens of herbs since 1845. In a Hanky Panky, you use exactly two bar spoons; any more and the bitterness will dominate. If you do not have a bottle at home, Branca Menta comes closest, with a mint-fresh undertone.
How strong is a Hanky Panky?
After stirring, a Hanky Panky comes to about 25 percent alcohol: strong, but softer than neat gin because the vermouth and melting water dilute it. The glass contains about 10 cl, so it remains a compact cocktail. Serve it as an aperitif or as a digestif after a heavy dinner.
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