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Hanky Panky Cocktail
This is basically a Sweet Martini influenced by the addition of bittersweet and aromatic fernet liqueur
Doug Bain
6th April at 05:26
Fantastic! I skipped the OJ - it's too pretty without. If I get ambitious, I'll try the clarifying approach Matt mentions to see if I'm missing out on anything. But it's great as is.
4th January at 19:31
Recovering from flu and having missed NYE. I took my beloved hanky panky with 100ml fresh orange juice as a vitamin c chaser. Perfect. I can also recommend a rusty nail toddy for when only warm will do but that is for a different stage of illness.
22nd July 2023 at 14:39
Given the small amounts involved, I've found clarifying the OJ (fine strain then coffee filter is enough) keeps enough flavour and still gives you a nice clear drink.
19th May 2023 at 14:56
This is for anyone needing a laugh….As I was reading through these comments while sipping on my first Hanky Panky, I felt an increasing sense of confusion as it sounded like they were talking about a different drink. And it turns out you were. Because I wasn’t wearing my glasses, so when I looked at the recipe (using the Oz version) I didn’t see 1/12 fl-Oz of Fenet, oh no, I saw the ever so slightly different 1 1/2 Oz of Fernet! I just figured it must be a fernet negroni. Was it good? Not?
7th June at 16:10
Yeah, such to mL in my opinion! So much clearer. Slightly boring but avoid confusion.
19th May 2023 at 15:31
Shows 1/12 fernet without any spaces on my screen! But, clearer in ml.
27th December 2022 at 00:23
This is a polarizing cocktail. I am fine with the strong herbal character but it's a bit much for my wife. No orange juice available, unfortunately, so I added a dash of orange bitters and cut the Fernet to an ounce.
If I try this again I will cut the Fernet in half, and use Antica Formula vermouth instead of the Cocchi Torino. And make sure I have an orange to squeeze.
If I try this again I will cut the Fernet in half, and use Antica Formula vermouth instead of the Cocchi Torino. And make sure I have an orange to squeeze.
24th June 2023 at 20:41
I think you made the same mistake as Nicola Adams above. The recipe calls for 1/12 oz (one twelfth), not 1.5 oz Fernet. I can imagine it was pretty overpowering.
10th November 2022 at 03:46
This is a wonderful after-dinner cocktail. Bitter and herbal. Perfect after a large meal. Did add the saline solution and orange juice. Added a nice finish.
25th October 2022 at 23:31
Simon, I only now saw your comment below in response to my first where I used saline and shook the drink. Choosing the Hanky Panky for tonight's cocktail, I tried your suggestion of 5ml chilled water rather than shaking. Less dilution than when I shook the drink the first go round, but it worked for me! Thank you for the suggestion.
26th October 2022 at 07:13
My pleasure. Thanks for letting me know that the addition of 5ml water helped. Be interesting to see if others adopt this. If so, I'll add to recipe.
31st May 2022 at 10:12
My first exposure to Fernet. I made it to the original Savoy recipe and thought it was horrid (mind you, I couldn't abide Campari when I first tried it, and now I enjoy it - and other amari - quite regularly). I added (post-pour, for a first try) the orange bitters Donna suggested, and the saline solution. They vastly improved the drink, so I think I'll be fixing another shortly ... properly this time!
1st June 2022 at 09:07
Second attempt was a winner ... I even subjected a friend to it.
23rd April 2022 at 23:47
Did not have an orange, so tried 3 dashes of orange bitters. Quite liked it, but think is preferable without the salt (and with an orange twist).
22nd December 2021 at 01:31
Fine, not amazing. Harry Craddock's version (heavy, equal amounts of gin and sweet vermouth; stirred with just a little Fernet Branca and garnished with a length of orange peel) is not bad. Spicy and boozy. Not a favorite, because I am not a vermouth fan, but if you like the deep herb flavors of Fernet Branca you can always go juust a bit heavy on that and back off on the sweet vermouth.
8th December 2021 at 15:29
Has anyone tried the Hanky Panky using a orange gin (Tanqueray Sevilla), seeing as the small amount of OJ improves the cocktail?
8th December 2021 at 16:22
It's a tiny amount of orange juice - just a quarter a bar spoon so makes a very subtle change to the taste. Orange gin would add a big wack of orange flavour to make a very different cocktail.
4th December 2021 at 00:40
I so wish you could remember the how the OJ came to be added as for me, it does cut down the bitterness a bit (I also added a drop of 20% salt solution for the same reason). I have both stirred and shaken this and for me, I prefer a little more dilution provided by the shake. Either way though, a really excellent cocktail!
4th December 2021 at 17:52
I think the orange juice may have been used by a bartender in a cocktail competition I judged but I've no idea what bartender and which comp. I agree re saline and I've added to the recipe above. Shaking could be a step too far but perhaps 5ml "chilled water (omit if wet ice)" could be in order. Bar ice versus domestic ice straight from the freezer contributes much more dilution. I'm using "bar ice" (wet ice) from an ice machine.
2nd December 2021 at 04:22
Made this a day late to celebrate the other Charles Hawtrey's birthday. Delicious exactly as written. I don't think it needs OJ at all.
Here's the video I did making it, if you're interested: https://youtu.be/gEWEz4VSYMc
Here's the video I did making it, if you're interested: https://youtu.be/gEWEz4VSYMc
Anonymous
7th August 2021 at 01:52
Interesting that the original recipe just says Italian Vermouth. I should have known better… rosso vermouth is not my favorite. I can only take it in small doses and this drink has too much. Maybe with dry vermouth it would be palatable?
7th May 2021 at 19:24
Until just now, I've been mugging myself trying to sub other amari for the fernet. Oh my word what a difference! Top class.
4th May 2021 at 21:17
Reminds me of Scope mouthwash. Won't be making this again