Six Cylinder

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (26 ratings)
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    Six Cylinder

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Six Cylinder image

Photographed in an Urban Bar Retro Optic Coupe 21cl

Ingredients:
2⁄3 oz Hayman's London Dry Gin
2⁄3 oz Heering Cherry Liqueur
2⁄3 oz Strucchi Red Bitter (Campari-style liqueur)
2⁄3 oz Dubonnet/French rouge aromatised wine
1⁄3 oz Strucchi Dry Vermouth
1⁄3 oz Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and skewered Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.
  3. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
  5. EXPRESS orange zest twist over cocktail and discard.
  6. Garnish with skewered cherry.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 5/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 7/10
More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

A bittersweet aperitivo or digestivo with pleasing subtle rich cherry notes.

View readers' comments

History:

Adapted from a recipe in Stanley M. Jones' 1977 Jones' Complete Barguide.

SIX CYLINDER
Cocktail Glass
Shake
1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz cherry flavoured brandy
1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz Dubonnet
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz sweet vermouth

Stanley M. Jones, Jones' Complete Barguide, 1977

Nutrition:

One serving of Six Cylinder contains 204 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.4 standard drinks
  • 19.21% alc./vol. (19.21° proof)
  • 19.2 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.

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Mike Gibb’s Avatar Mike Gibb
29th March at 16:01
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]
2
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Caspian Berggren’s Avatar Caspian Berggren
26th January at 17:54
Wholeheartedly agree on splitting Campari and Aperol. If you do that you'll get an interesting bittersweet cocktail dominated by cherry.
1
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John CARR’s Avatar John CARR
29th October 2024 at 13:42
Also good bumping up the gin to 30ml, which may overcome reservations re excessive sweetness/Campari-ness.
1
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John CARR’s Avatar John CARR
15th October 2024 at 12:52
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.
1
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Paul MATEJCEK’s Avatar Paul MATEJCEK
18th January 2024 at 23:34
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?
1
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Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
19th January 2024 at 06:50
St Raphael Le Quina Rouge perhaps.
2
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Deyan Kavrakov’s Avatar Deyan Kavrakov
13th December 2023 at 11:27
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.
5
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Andy Parnell-Hopkinson’s Avatar Andy Parnell-Hopkinson
9th December 2023 at 16:46
Campari overly dominates. Tried sweetening with juice from cherry jar but still too bitter.
1
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Jeremy Harrold’s Avatar Jeremy Harrold
8th December 2023 at 18:48
Deep red fruit with a spear of sharp bitter Campari. I made the original and Simon’s suited me best. Much more robust ;-)
3
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