Mike Romanoff

Difford's Guide
Discerning Drinkers (12 ratings)

Serve in a

Coupe glass

Garnish:

Orange zest twist

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

1 2/3 fl oz Ketel One Vodka
1/6 fl oz Cointreau triple sec liqueur
1/6 fl oz Luxardo Apricot Albicocca Liqueur
1/2 fl oz Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
1/3 fl oz Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°Brix)
Loading...

Read about cocktail measures and measuring.

David Embury's birthday image

David Embury's birthday

The author of that seminal work, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, David Augustus Embury was born on this day in 1886 in Pine Woods, upstate New York. He

Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night Cocktails image

Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night Cocktails

Remember, remember the fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason, why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.

National Nacho Day image

National Nacho Day

Not a fan of nachos? Then today is nacho lucky day! Yes, today is National Nacho Day, a day dedicated to those delicious fried tortilla chips that we love

National Harvey Wallbanger Day image

National Harvey Wallbanger Day

Of all the cocktails to have its very own day, the Harvey Wallbanger is probably the most surprising. But, yes, Harvey Wallbanger Day is a thing in American.

Irish Coffee arrived in America this day image

Irish Coffee arrived in America this day

The splendidly named Stanton Delaplane, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, may have won a Pulitzer Prize for Reporting, but his legacy remains

Happy Hour Day image

Happy Hour Day

Every hour should be happy but in most bars, this term does not reflect a collective state of joyousness but a period of comparatively cheap booze. Not

Review:

A Vodka Daisy sweetened with triple sec, apricot brandy and a touch of sugar.

History:

Michael Romanoff (1890-1971) was a Hollywood impresario. Born Hershel Geguzin in Lithuania he immigrated to New York City aged ten and changed his name to Harry F. Gerguson. He moved to Hollywood where he took on the Michael Romanoff persona, claiming to be born Prince Michael Alexandrovitch Dimitri Obolensky Romanoff, nephew of Tsar Nicholas II.

Scotland Yard described the former British and French convict as a "rogue of uncertain nationality." He was another actor in a town of actors and when a filmmaker needed a 'technical adviser' for a movie set in Europe, Romanoff was the obvious well-paid expert. He was a popular Hollywood figure and he opened Romanoff's, a Beverly Hills restaurant popular with movie stars in the 1940s and 1950s.

Humphrey Bogart was a good friend of Romanoff and a regular at the restaurant. Hollywood legend has it that one day in 1955 Bogie was lunching with Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Jimmy Van Heusen when Mrs Bogart, A.K.A. Lauren Bacall, walked into the restaurant and on seeing the group exclaimed, "I see the rat pack is all here". Thus Romanoff's became the place where the Rat Pack term was first coined and also where this drink was created.

David Niven was also a close friend and in his book Bring on the Empty Horses he devotes chapter eight, 'The Emperor', to the colourful Romanoff.

Nutrition:

One serving of Mike Romanoff contains 168 calories.

Alcohol content:

  • 1.2 standard drinks
  • 20.33% alc./vol. (40.66° proof)
  • 17.3 grams of pure alcohol
Difford's Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

Join the Discussion


... comment(s) for Mike Romanoff

You must log in to your account to make a comment.

Report comment

You must be logged in to upvote or downvote a comment

Click here to login
David Embury's birthday image

David Embury's birthday

The author of that seminal work, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, David Augustus Embury was born on this day in 1886 in Pine Woods, upstate New York. He

Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night Cocktails image

Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night Cocktails

Remember, remember the fifth of November Gunpowder, treason and plot. I see no reason, why gunpowder treason Should ever be forgot.

National Nacho Day image

National Nacho Day

Not a fan of nachos? Then today is nacho lucky day! Yes, today is National Nacho Day, a day dedicated to those delicious fried tortilla chips that we love

National Harvey Wallbanger Day image

National Harvey Wallbanger Day

Of all the cocktails to have its very own day, the Harvey Wallbanger is probably the most surprising. But, yes, Harvey Wallbanger Day is a thing in American.

Irish Coffee arrived in America this day image

Irish Coffee arrived in America this day

The splendidly named Stanton Delaplane, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, may have won a Pulitzer Prize for Reporting, but his legacy remains

Happy Hour Day image

Happy Hour Day

Every hour should be happy but in most bars, this term does not reflect a collective state of joyousness but a period of comparatively cheap booze. Not

Welcome to Difford's Guide

All editorial and photography on this website is copyright protected

© Odd Firm of Sin 2024