The Hanky Panky recipe
for your table
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass with plenty of ice.
Stir for 25 to 30 seconds until the mixture is ice-cold.
Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass or small coupe.
Squeeze an orange zest over the glass and let it drop in. This aroma completes the cocktail.
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The story
Ada 'Coley' Coleman was head bartender at the American Bar in the Savoy Hotel in the early twentieth century, a woman at the top of the bar world long before that was taken for granted. For actor Charles Hawtrey, who asked for 'something with a proper kick' after long working days, she experimented until she found this mix. Hawtrey took a sip and exclaimed: "By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!" The name stuck, and so did the recipe: more than a century later, Coleman's creation is still on the menu at the Savoy and at every bar that knows its classics.
The right glass
The Hanky Panky is a stirred cocktail served without ice in the glass, so serving it in a stemmed glass is essential. A 14 cl Nick & Nora glass keeps this powerful mix compact and cold, exactly as Ada Coleman served it. The narrow opening brings together the interplay of herbs and orange. Another lovely option is a small vintage coupe with some art deco flair from the same period. Prefer a small vintage coupe for this classic? Take a look at our champagne coupe glasses.
Bormioli Rocco America'20S Liqueur Glass 14 cl Nick And Nora (6 pieces)
RCR Melodia Port Glass Nick And Nora 14 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 66,90.
The right tools
For a Hanky Panky, alongside the glass you use a mixing glass, a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, a Julep strainer and a zester for the twist. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 106,70.
What do you make a Hanky Panky with?
For a Hanky Panky, you need the right base. Well-known bottles include Fernet-Branca. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it suits, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Play with the Fernet measure: half a bar spoon for beginners, a full tablespoon for enthusiasts. Using Branca Menta instead of Fernet-Branca gives it a mint-fresh undertone. Serve it as a digestif. The herbal bitter does exactly what it should after a heavy dinner. More inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Fernet-Branca is intense: two bar spoons are exactly enough to add tension without letting the bitterness dominate. The orange zest isn’t optional but essential.
Good to know
The ratio: equal parts plus two spoons
Gin and sweet vermouth go in exactly equal parts here, 4.5 cl to 4.5 cl, and that’s intentional: the vermouth shouldn’t carry the gin, but match it. The Fernet-Branca is added on top with two bar spoons, about 1 cl in total, or one-ninth of the whole. That may seem like little, and it’s exactly enough. Half a bar spoon more and the bitterness takes over the entire glass; half a spoon less and all you taste is a sweet martini. So measure the Fernet with a bar spoon rather than pouring a splash from the bottle.
How strong is a Hanky Panky
Expect roughly 23 percent alcohol in the glass. Gin at 40 percent and Fernet-Branca at 39 percent do most of the work, while the vermouth at around 16 percent softens it, and stirring adds about 20 percent water. In a filled 14 cl Nick and Nora glass, that amounts to roughly 3 cl of pure alcohol, equivalent to just over two standard drinks. That’s substantial for a drink you can finish in four sips. So serve it as an aperitif or digestif, not as the first in a long series.
Hanky Panky, Sweet Martini or Martinez
Remove the Fernet-Branca and you’re left with a Sweet Martini: gin with sweet vermouth, nothing else. That’s precisely the point Ada Coleman was making, because those two bar spoons of bitters transform a friendly classic into something herbal and dark. The Martinez takes a different direction with maraschino and bitters instead of Fernet, with a sweeter, more cherry-like character. Taste the three in succession and you immediately notice what a single ingredient does to a base recipe. Stir all three for 25 to 30 seconds and serve without ice in the glass.
What is Fernet-Branca and where can you buy it
Fernet-Branca is an Italian herbal bitter from Milan, distilled from 27 herbs since 1845, and at 39 percent alcohol, one of the strongest amaros around. Neat, it is almost medicinal; in this cocktail, it provides exactly the counterbalance the vermouth needs. You can find it at any well-stocked liquor store and larger supermarkets, and a 70 cl bottle makes about seventy cocktails when used this way. If you don't have any fernet at home, Branca Menta comes closest, with a minty twist.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Hanky Panky drink?
A Hanky Panky is a stirred gin cocktail made with 4.5 cl gin, the same amount of sweet red vermouth, and two bar spoons of Fernet-Branca, finished with a squeezed orange zest. The herbal bitter gives the classic sweet Martini a dark, bitter undertone. Serve it without ice in a stemmed glass; see our Nick & Nora glasses.
Which classic cocktail consists of gin and vermouth?
The Martini and the sweet Martini are the best known, and the Hanky Panky is their spicy variant: equal parts gin and red vermouth, plus two bar spoons of Fernet-Branca. All three are stirred for 25 to 30 seconds in a mixing glass with plenty of ice and then strained without ice.
What is Fernet-Branca and what can you replace it with?
Fernet-Branca is a pitch-black Italian herbal bitter, distilled in Milan from dozens of herbs since 1845. In a Hanky Panky, you use exactly two bar spoons of it; any more and the bitterness will dominate. If you don't have a bottle at home, Branca Menta comes closest, with a mint-fresh undertone.
How strong is a Hanky Panky?
After stirring, a Hanky Panky comes out at around 25 percent alcohol: strong, but gentler than neat gin because the vermouth and melting water dilute it. The glass holds about 10 cl, so it remains a compact cocktail. Serve it as an aperitif or as a digestif after a heavy dinner.
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