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Fairbanks No.2

Name: Fairbanks No.2
Total time: 2 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 60 ml Gin; 20 ml Dry vermouth; 5 ml Crème de noyau; 2 dash Orange bitters

Difford’s Guide

Discerning Drinkers (7)

Measurements in:

Serves:

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Ingredients
2 fl oz	Hayman's London Dry Gin
2/3 fl oz	Strucchi Dry Vermouth
1/6 fl oz	Crème de noyau liqueur
2 dash	Orange Bitters by Angostura

How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Coupe glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

EXPRESS orange zest twist over cocktail and discard.
Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of Fairbanks No.2 contains 168 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
25.76% alc./vol. (51.52° proof)
23.7 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Dry vermouth — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

Adapted from a recipe in Harry Craddock's 1930 The Savoy Cocktail Book where he notes, "We often wondered what Doug did it on. Now we know we are going to try and do it ourselves" in reference to the charisma of Douglas Fairbanks Sr., this drinks namesake.

However, the earlier, Robert Vermeire's 1922 Cocktails: How to Mix Them says, "This drink is named after Senator Fairbank, a personal friend of the late President Roosevelt, of America." Vermeire's recipe also differs from the Savoy in that it specifies equal parts gin and vermouth, and if you'd like to try this version, I suggest 45ml / 1.5oz of each.

Fairbank Cocktail.
Fill the bar glass half full of broken ice and add:
2 dashes Noyau Rose.
2 dashes of Orange Bitters.
¼ gill of Gin.
¼ gill of French Vermouth.
Stir up well, strain into a cocktail glass, and squeeze orange-peel on top.
This drink is called after Senator Fairbank, a personal friend of the late President Roosevelt, of America.
Robert Vermeire, Cocktails - How to Mix Them, 1922

FAIRBANKS COCKTAIL. (No.2)
2 Dashes Crème de Noyau.
2 Dashes Orange Bitters.
1/3 French Vermouth.
2/3 Dry Gin.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass, with a cherry.
Harry Craddock, 1930

Review

Original Savoy and Vermeire recipes for this cocktail specify 2 dashes of crème de noyeaux. I've interpreted this as being a generous 5ml / 1/6oz measure to add a delicate pink hue and a fruity almond note to this Dry Martini-style cocktail.

Variations/similar cocktails

Fairbanks No. 1

Comments & Discussion

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Calvin Grant Premium Member 23w

Mostly noticed the bones of the Dolin Dry when this was ice cold, it all came into focus as it warmed a bit and the Noyau held it's own. A more careful measure of the orange bitters may change this equation.

Caspian Berggren Premium Member 1y

I was going to say that this is exactly how I want dry martinis to taste, and to some extent that's still true, but I think the almond flavour is a bit too prominent for the rest of the ingredients. Maybe split the noyau with bianco vermouth would yield the perfect martini... Oh well, this is certainly a good cocktail, and the chase for the perfect martini continues!