Gypsy Queen

Serve in a

Garnish:

Orange zest twist

How to make:

STIR all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled glass.

Review:

Vodka both fortifies this complexly spiced honeyed and herbal cocktail.

Variant:

With tequila: Rude Gypsy; with gin: London Gypsy; with vodka, orange and lemon: Juicy Gypsy.

History:

Drinks historian David Wondrich discovered the earliest known reference to the Gypsy Queen in a 1938 booklet published by New York City's famed The Russian Tea Room. This makes it one of the earliest vodka-cocktails in the USA.

In his seminal 1948 The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, David Embury says, "The original recipe calls for a proportion of 1 to 2. This, however, is rather sweet. About 5 top 6 parts vodka to 1 of Benedictine makes a much better drink." [The above recipe is 3 to 1.]

Embury's "Gypsy or Gypsy Queen" recipe of 1-part Benedictine and 2 to 6 parts Vodka stipulates "1 dash Orange Bitters to each drink" but Angostura or similar aromatic bitters produce a rounder cocktail.

Nutrition:

One serving of Gypsy Queen contains 149 calories.

Alcohol content:

• 1.5 standard drinks
• 33.92% alc./vol. (67.84° proof)
• 20.5 grams of pure alcohol