Name: Six Cylinder
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 15 ml Navy strength gin; 15 ml Cherry brandy; 15 ml Red bitter liqueur; 15 ml Red quinquina e.g. Dubonnet, Byrrh; 15 ml Dry vermouth; 15 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth

Chris Garner Premium Member 20w

Harry of Harry’s New York Bar in Pair wrote this in his book Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 20w

Many thanks, Chris. I've added this, and all I can find on the history to what I already had. Hopefully, a French speaker will have more luck than me searching online archives of 1928 Parian newspapers.

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 20w

Have tried it, I've restored the recipe to how it was originally intended: 6 equal parts. (Previously i had a third less of the last two ingredients - the vermouths.)

Chris Garner Premium Member 11w

You are so right to use navy strength gin for it. The gin comes through.

Calvin Grant Premium Member 30w

Fabulous! Found the bitterness from the Campari, Byrrh, and the vermouths effectively balanced the cherry sweet center from Luxardo's Cherry Sangue Morlacco. And just enough gin. Wouldn't change a thing.♡

John CARR Premium Member 25w

Revisiting this one Calvin, and very much agree. I may have ‘accidentally’ added some juice from the cherry jar, but then needed a splash more gin to dry it. The full Campari measure adds really nice bitterness to balance the glass.

Calvin Grant Premium Member 24w

We do like our bittersweet drinks eh? Speaking of which, I need a bottle of Fernet. You like that stuff?

John CARR Continue thread (1 reply)

Chris Brislawn 18w

Agree that Byrrh works well in this and that the full complement of Campari is appropriate given the number of other sweet ingredients. A touch more gin if you don't have "Navy strength." I also agree on your assessment (below) of the Complex Tipperary.

Calvin Grant Premium Member 18w

Yes, added more gin. Is there a 'navy strength' you recommend?

Chris Brislawn Continue thread (1 reply)

Mike Gibb Premium Member 1y

I followed the suggestions btl to cut half the Campari with 10ml Aperol. The result included the Campari taste but without the bitterness. Cherry was to the fore, over a herbal Dubonnet base. I would do this again.

btw: I tried this after thoroughly enjoying the rather heftier Commedia all'Italiana (equal parts Campari & Aperol & rosso vermouth, with grappa and maraschino).

[Six Cylinder]

Caspian Berggren Premium Member 1y

Wholeheartedly agree on splitting Campari and Aperol. If you do that you'll get an interesting bittersweet cocktail dominated by cherry.

John CARR Premium Member 1y

Also good bumping up the gin to 30ml, which may overcome reservations re excessive sweetness/Campari-ness.

Chris Brislawn 18w

No "Navy strength" gin so I snuck the Tanqueray up to 3/4 oz (22.5 ml), which was enough. No reason to cut back on the Campari; the bitterness and "extra" ingredients makes this a serious, cherry fruit-forward Negroni variant. I used Byrrh, which worked quite well with the gin & Campari. Used Cocchi Extra Dry & Storico rosso, but I'm thinking a little more bitterness from Dopo Teatro instead of Storico might work well, too. There's more going on here than in a Negroni; I can see why it won a competition way back in 1928.

John CARR Premium Member 18w

Thanks Chris. I’ll have to revisit this. I’ve 🩷’d it and version have pleasant memories! All the favourite ingredients. No navy strength atm either so extra gin will definitely feature 😘.

Simon Difford Continue thread (1 reply)

John CARR Premium Member 18w

Just noticed that Simon has snuck in a recipe change, reverting to original equal parts. I had Byrrh also tonight although I would lean to Dubonnet out of the two for my money. Bumped the fords gin to 30 - Navy strength would be smashing. This is a seriously good cocktail with lots going on! Used Cherry Heering but happy I also have Sangue Morlacco in stock and it’s a public holiday here tomorrow ☺️

John CARR Premium Member 1y

Suped up Negroni meets cherry Martinez. On the sweet side for me so I’d def be reserving for dessert, maybe with a rich chocolate mousse. I ended up with eight cylinders due to low bottles of Campari and Dubonnet. I think deyan’s suggestion of splitting the Campari half with Aperol is a good one.
The cherry richness comes through beautifully.

Paul MATEJCEK Premium Member 2y

Any thoughts about a sub for the Dubonnet? Punt e Mes? Noilly Prat? Pimm's #1? Maybe Aperol? ...or must I wait until I get my hands onto the real McCoy?

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 2y

St Raphael Le Quina Rouge perhaps.

Deyan Kavrakov 2y

This is an enchanting and complex palette. I kindly recommend mellowing down the Campari: split it to 10 ml Aperol & 10 ml Campari. So Mediterranean.

Andy Parnell-Hopkinson 2y

Campari overly dominates. Tried sweetening with juice from cherry jar but still too bitter.

Jeremy Harrold 2y

Deep red fruit with a spear of sharp bitter Campari. I made the original and Simon’s suited me best. Much more robust ;-)

1/2 fl oz	Hayman's Navy Strength Royal Dock Gin
1/2 fl oz	Cherry (brandy) liqueur
1/2 fl oz	Italian red bitter liqueur
1/2 fl oz	Dubonnet, Byrrh etc. rouge light quinquina (chilled)
1/2 fl oz	Strucchi Dry Vermouth (chilled)
1/2 fl oz	Strucchi Rosso Vermouth (chilled)

Six Cylinder

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