The Drinks

1 - The Martini Cocktail

Often referred to as the “king of cocktails,” the Martini Cocktail is a close relative of the Martinez. Incorporated into the Bartender’s Manual in 1888, it has as many recipes as there are stories about its origin.

Once the first martinis were combined with sweet vermouth in the early 20th century, the tangy flavour became more popular and thus influenced the classic Martini Cocktail. Gin and dry vermouth are the preferred composition today.

This timeless short drink has always been enjoyed in a chilled martini glass and is rounded off with a green olive or a twist of untreated lemon peel. The olive can be served in the Martini Cocktail or separately. The lemon peel is dropped into the glass as a garnish once the essential oils have been released through twisting.

2 - The Old Fashioned

Based on the name, it should come as no surprise that this cocktail is said to have emerged in the 18th century. There’s no need to feel nostalgic about the old days when you can experience them by enjoying an Old-Fashioned!

Despite its name and history, the old-fashioned is still one of the last drinks that was rejuvenated by the cocktail renaissance of the 1920s. Preparation initially entailed soaking and dissolving a sugar cube with a few drops of Angostura, adding whiskey and then filling the cup with ice. Back then, the Old-Fashioned was finished off with a splash of soda water: due to its nostalgic sepia tint and name, this classic cocktail speaks for itself.

These days, this creation of bourbon, simple syrup and aromatic bitters is enjoyed in a tumbler with ice, garnished with a twist of orange peel once the essential oils have been released.

3 - The Manhattan

The Manhattan can be characterized as an innovative classic: it was one of the first cocktails to be modified with the addition of vermouth and was referred to as the “king of vermouth drinks.”

Because the oldest written Manhattan recipe stems from 1884, this classic drink is considered to be at least that old.

Since then, the Manhattan has been made from rye whiskey, Italian vermouth and aromatic bitters. Served in a chilled cocktail glass and flavoured and garnished with a twist of orange peel, this drink transports you out of the hustle and bustle of modern-day life and into the New York bar culture of days gone by.

4 - The Negroni

The Negroni is and always will be a popular classic aperitif, and we have the country responsible for aperitif culture to thank for it. We also owe our thanks to Fosco Scarselli from Florence. Without his accidental creation, we’d have one less classic aperitif cocktail to enjoy today. Fortunately, around 1919 he served one of his regular customers an Americano, replacing the soda water with gin by mistake. His customer – Count Camillo Negroni – was delighted. And we are too!

The cocktail has continued to gain popularity ever since and, along with the Martini and Manhattan, forms the triple crown of classic cocktails.

Made from gin, Italian red bitters and Italian vermouth, this drink is an extraordinary treat served in a tumbler filled with ice cubes and flavoured and garnished with a twist of orange peel.

5 - The Rusty Nail

The tale behind the Rusty Nail is somewhat fuzzy. The Rusty Nail, a classic American version of an “anytime” cocktail, is a quintessential Scottish drink and evidence that less is truly more. As a classic cocktail of contrasts, the Rusty Nail has been combining the sweet and tangy sides of life since 1937. Most accounts credit the recipe to the bartenders at the 21 Club in Manhattan in the late 1950s. Perfectly balanced with scotch and a honey-sweet whisky liqueur, the Rusty Nail has an unapologetic dismissal of subtlety. To appreciate it fully, serve in a tumbler filled with ice cubes with the orange twist rubbed around the rim of the glass, dropped into the cocktail.

6 - The Gin Gimlet

Originating in British maritime tradition, the Gin Gimlet has been considered a “gentleman’s drink” since the end of the 19th century.

No one knows exactly where its name comes from, though one story attributes the name “gimlet” to a tool of the same name used in shipbuilding. We’re fond of the story that credits the cocktail to the British Royal Navy ship doctor Sir Thomas Gimlette, who administered his patented gin and limes as a remedy.

Despite all of the stories, one thing is certain: while the creation of gin and lime cordial may have emerged in a male-dominated environment, it cuts a fine figure in female society, served in a chilled coupette glass and flavoured and garnished with a twist of lemon peel.

7 - The Vesper

The Vesper is a James Bond original, as 007 named the cocktail after his great love: “I think I’ll call it a ‘Vesper.’” “Because of the bitter aftertaste?” “No, because once you’ve tasted it, that’s all you want to drink.”

We owe our thanks to Ian Fleming for the clever secret agent and, more importantly, for the cocktail of gin, vodka and a French wine-based aperitif, which the writer invented in 1953 for his spy thriller Casino Royale.

This perfect combination of sweet and tangy flavours resulting from the interplay of gin and vodka tastes best ice cold, preferably in a cocktail glass, flavoured and garnished with a twist of lemon peel. But caution: “Stirred, not shaken.”

8 - The Hanky Panky

The year is 1920 and we’re at the American Bar in The Savoy Hotel in London, where we witness the first-ever Hanky Panky. In search of the perfect cocktail for one of her regular customers, bartender Ada Coleman created this drink. Made from gin, Italian vermouth and herbal liqueur flavourfully rounded off with the essential oils of an orange peel and served in a chilled cocktail glass, this drink elicited the response: “By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!” Without comment, we accept this enthusiastic exclamation of the eccentric Charles Hawtrey and consider the Hanky Panky to be one of the most popular classic cocktails to this day.

9 - The Rob Roy

This aperitif was invented in the 1890s and, unlike the Manhattan, is made from a blended scotch with Italian vermouth and aromatic bitters.It probably got its name from a Broadway show based on Sir Walter Scott’s novel Rob Roy. In Scotland, however, a common story claims it was named after national hero Robert MacGregor, the Scottish Robin Hood, who always carried a flask containing precisely this mixture with him. Regardless of where the name comes from, we all agree that the ROB ROY should be served “straight up” in a chilled cocktail glass and with a twist of orange peel.

10 - The Martinez

The “father of the martini” probably emerged at the end of the 19th century and represented a connection between classic sweet drinks such as the Manhattan and tangier drinks such as the Martini. There are no real clues about how the drink came about, though Martinez enthusiasts attribute the drink to Julio Richelieu. We’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and would therefore like to thank Julio for serving a cocktail made from Old Tom Gin, Italian vermouth, maraschino liqueur and bitters to a miner on his way to Martinez, California, around 1874. With a preference for dry drinks emerging in the 1890s, the commonly used, sweet Old Tom Gin was replaced with London dry gin. To this day, the Martinez is still enjoyed in this way, served in a chilled cocktail glass and garnished with a twist of orange peel.

11 - The Boulevardier

We have the Prohibition era in the United States to thank for the Boulevardier: American bartenders had to choose a new profession or leave the country. Prohibition led New Yorker Harry McElhone to London and then on to Paris, where he opened his legendary Harry’s New York Bar. There he served pre-Prohibition drinks and new creations that he perfected with European ingredients, including the Boulevardier, made from bourbon, Italian red bitters and Italian vermouth. This was the signature drink of his regular customer, the publisher of The Boulevardier magazine, and Harry published it in his recipe book in 1927. Flavoured and garnished with a twist of orange peel, it’s served in a chilled tumbler.

12 - The Bamboo

German-born Louis Eppinger, “the father of bartending in Japan,” created this exceptional aperitif for the international guests of the historic Hotel New Grand in Yokohama in 1890. Eppinger was primarily known for his extraordinary drinks, for which he expertly combined a wide range of ingredients. The popularity of the harmonious composition of dry sherry, French dry vermouth and bitters extended far beyond the borders of Japan. “Japan’s sherry amour,” as the Bamboo is also called, is enjoyed around the world in a chilled cocktail glass, flavoured and garnished with a twist of orange peel.

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