bronx_cocktail

Bronx Cocktail Recipe

• 3 mins
• Prep: 3 mins,
• Cook: 0 mins
• Yield: 1 serving

This cocktail is a simple variation of a Perfect Martini that adds a little orange juice to the mix. If you are looking for a classic martini that is not as dry as many martinis can be, this is a great option.

The story of how the Bronx was created has been questioned many times through the years, but it's generally accepted that Johnnie Solon created it at the Waldorf Astoria sometime shortly after 1900. The remarkable thing is that Solon never touched a drop of liquor, but he had the uncanny ability to create great drinks.

Bronx Cocktail

Ingredients (4)

• 2 ounces gin
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice

• Calories 185
• Fat 0.06g
• Saturated fat 0.01g
• Trans fat
• Carbs 3.72g
• Fiber 0.06g
• Sugar 2.61g
• Protein 0.22g
• Cholesterol
• Sodium 2.83mg
• Nutritional Analysis per serving (1 servings)Powered by

The Bronx, or Da Bronx, is a gin-based drink that combines both sweet and dry vermouth and is enlivened by a splash of orange juice. In the 1930s, such a demand for the Bronx Cocktail existed at New York’s Brass Rail in the Waldorf that the bar, under the tutelage of Johnny Solon, went through cases of oranges a day. The cocktail is named not for the much-maligned New York City borough but for the Bronx Zoo. One story has it that Solon visited the zoo and saw many strange beasts. Thinking that a number of his customers also saw bizarre beasties after too many drinks, he christened this cocktail the Bronx. As one might expect, Brooklyn got into the act with a cocktail of its own.

Bartenders who take pride in their mixology have tried to keep the Bronx alive, but it is mostly foreign to the new generation of barkeeps. This is a drink that can easily be made at home. If it is raining and wet, relax and order a Dry Bronx.

Some bartenders prefer to omit the orange juice. Our advice is to retain the OJ and get your vitamin C while preserving tradition. To avoid those many strange beasts that Mr. Solon referred to, keep your intake to no more than three. For a Sweet Bronx or a Dry Bronx, use only one kind of vermouth. If you replace the vermouth with a dash of bitters, the cocktail becomes an Abbey.

The Bronx Cocktail

In 1931 and again in 1934, the iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel published cocktail books, capturing the drinks of the day and perhaps even more so the drinks of pre-Prohibition (and some from when drinking, well, er, wasn't so legal). "That's when blossoms [drinks with orange juice] became popular, because they hid the less-than-great liquors of the time," Frank Caiafa, author of the new Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, out this week, explains.

Caiafa, who is the general manager of the hotel's Peacock Alley bar spent the past five years combing through the old books and updating the recipes for the modern palate. "My living room is an ode to cocktail and drinking books," he jokes. His bar, at least at work, is pretty well stocked, too.

The result of his research is a book dedicated to the art of bartending and the history of some of New York's favorite cocktails during the 20th century. Though, the main thing Caiafa wanted was to create a bar book that's approachable for the novice home bartender. And it is. The recipes are concise and include directions about serving with garnishes, which the earlier books largely lacked. But the book is perhaps most useful as a reference guide to the history of American drinks.

As for The Bronx cocktail, Caiafa writes, "Of all the cocktails associated or attributed to the Hotel, no one—not even the venerable Rob Roy—was as popular as The Bronx. Sometimes referred to as the Cosmopolitan of its day, it was one of the most requested cocktails prior to Prohibition." With the addition of bitters, it has a strong orangey note that might be best in the evening, but as Caiafa writes, "I love to imagine a time when rivers of gin and juice were consumed before three p.m. Those were the days." Indeed, they were.

This is the modern version of The Bronx cocktail. If you would like to try the original version, omit the orange juice and replace it with two orange peels, squeezed over the glass and then added in. Instead of shaking, stir with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel.

The Bronx Cocktail

Ingredients

Ice, for shaking

1½ ounces Beefeater London dry gin

1 ounce orange juice

½ ounce Cinzano Rosso sweet vermouth

½ ounce Noilly Prat extra-dry vermouth

1 dash Regans' Orange Bitters No. 6

Directions

1. In an ice-filled shaker, combine all the ingredients. Shake well, then strain into a chilled coupe glass and serve.

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Bronx

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin -- London dry gin
• 1 ounce orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vermouth -- French vermouth
• 1/2 teaspoon vermouth -- Italian vermouth

Instructions:

Shake well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

The Wondrich Take:

Time was, every borough in New York had to have a cocktail. Well, except for Queens. And Staten Island. But there was a Brooklyn, of sorts (fuhgeddaboutit), and you all know about the Manhattan. That leaves this baby. The Bronx. Its origins are as undisputed as anything involving alcohol can get: Johnnie Solon, Spanish-American War vet and master bartender at the Waldorf-Astoria (back when that was the bar in the city in the country), slung it together when a lunchtime customer challenged him to come up with something new. Instant hit.

Solon's formula is at left. We should note, however, that almost nobody seems to have been satisfied with it -- nobody, at any rate, who committed to posterity his thoughts on mixology. Fair enough; opinions will differ. But in this case, all the others are wrong. Every published variation is based on the premise that the drink lacks punch, a fault for which they try to compensate by pumping up the vermouths and cutting down the OJ, sometimes to a mere squeeze of peel. Thing is, no amount of jiggling with the figures can toughen this baby up enough for it to compete with, say, the Manhattan, so why bother? It's like trying to make an action hero out of Leonardo DiCaprio.

What's more, we can deduce from Solon's account of the creation that the day was most likely a warm one -- he named the drink after a trip he had taken to the Bronx Zoo a couple of days before, and who goes there in the winter? If we factor in the detail that it was, you'll recall, lunchtime, and the important fact that air conditioning was still just an idea bouncing around in Willis Carrier's fertile little brain, all becomes clear. The Bronx must not be judged as an evening bracer, a proper cocktail, but rather as a midday swelter-tamer. As such, it's delightful: clean, simple, and very, very refreshing.

Bronx Cocktail

Ingredients (4)

• 2 ounces gin
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
• 1 ounce fresh orange juice

• Calories 185
• Fat 0.06g
• Saturated fat 0.01g
• Trans fat
• Carbs 3.72g
• Fiber 0.06g
• Sugar 2.61g
• Protein 0.22g
• Cholesterol
• Sodium 2.83mg
• Nutritional Analysis per serving (1 servings)Powered by

The Bronx, or Da Bronx, is a gin-based drink that combines both sweet and dry vermouth and is enlivened by a splash of orange juice. In the 1930s, such a demand for the Bronx Cocktail existed at New York’s Brass Rail in the Waldorf that the bar, under the tutelage of Johnny Solon, went through cases of oranges a day. The cocktail is named not for the much-maligned New York City borough but for the Bronx Zoo. One story has it that Solon visited the zoo and saw many strange beasts. Thinking that a number of his customers also saw bizarre beasties after too many drinks, he christened this cocktail the Bronx. As one might expect, Brooklyn got into the act with a cocktail of its own.

Bartenders who take pride in their mixology have tried to keep the Bronx alive, but it is mostly foreign to the new generation of barkeeps. This is a drink that can easily be made at home. If it is raining and wet, relax and order a Dry Bronx.

Some bartenders prefer to omit the orange juice. Our advice is to retain the OJ and get your vitamin C while preserving tradition. To avoid those many strange beasts that Mr. Solon referred to, keep your intake to no more than three. For a Sweet Bronx or a Dry Bronx, use only one kind of vermouth. If you replace the vermouth with a dash of bitters, the cocktail becomes an Abbey.

Bronx #1 (Original)

• Display recipe in:

How to make:

SHAKE all ingredients with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

Orange zest twist (discarded) & Luxardo Maraschino cherry

A serious, dry, complex cocktail. Less bitter than many of its era, but still challenging to more tender modern palates.

1/ Bloody Bronx - made with the juice of a blood orange. 2/ Golden Bronx - with the addition of an egg yolk. 3/ Silver Bronx - with the addition of egg white. 4/ Income Tax Cocktail - with two dashes Angostura bitters. Also see the Abbey Martini and Satan’s Whiskers.

Created in 1906 by Johnny Solon, a bartender at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel (the Empire State Building occupies the site today), and named after the newly opened Bronx Zoo. This is reputedly the first cocktail to use fruit juice.

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Previous Cocktail

STIR marmalade with gin in base of shaker until it dissolves. Add other ingredients, SHAKE with ice and fine strain into chilled glass.

Next Cocktail

POUR first two ingredients into ice-filled glass and TOP with ginger ale. Stir and serve with straws.

Cocktail shakers & how to shake a cocktail

Shaking not only mixes a drink, it also chills, dilutes and aerates it. Along with stirring shaking is the most common technique employed to mix cocktails.

How to strain a cocktail

When straining a shaken drink, a Hawthorn strainer tends to be used, but when straining a stirred drink it is traditional to use a Julep strainer. Both designs of strainer allow.

Orange juice

The orange is now so commonly available in our shops and markets that it’s hard to believe it was once an exotic and expensive luxury. Although native to China, its name.

Vermouth is a fortified wine, part of the ‘aromatised’ wine family, flavoured with aromatic herbs and spices. It is distinguished from other aromatised wines due to its being.

Bitters are alcoholic beverages prepared with herbs, spices, roots, fruits and peels infused in alcohol or glycerin. Popular ingredients include gentian, quinine and orange peel.

Punch - Expert tips on how to make and serve

Consisting of a spirit or spirits (mostly rum), citrus, sugar, water and spice, punch was enjoyed by Charles Dickens, America’s founding fathers, pirates

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Bronx

Cocktail recipe

• #94 / 303 in Gin Cocktails
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• #79 / 376 in Orange Juice Cocktails
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• #5 / 12 in Red Vermouth Cocktails

3 Ingredients

• ½ shot Orange Juice ½ shot Orange Juice 2.25 cl Orange Juice 22.5 ml Orange Juice ½ shot Orange Juice 0.75 oz Orange Juice
• ½ shot Gin ½ shot Gin 2.25 cl Gin 22.5 ml Gin ½ shot Gin 0.75 oz Gin
• ½ shot Red Vermouth ½ shot Red Vermouth 2.25 cl Red Vermouth 22.5 ml Red Vermouth ½ shot Red Vermouth 0.75 oz Red Vermouth

• Original
• cl
• ml
• oz

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'How to Make The Bronx Cocktail' A film by David Theisen Starring Martin the Bartender filmed at the Cupping Room Cafe in SoHo, NYC Music: 'Closing Scene' . ">How to Make The Bronx Cocktail https://www.youtube.com/embed/zG8ngxXtQjE

For more videos, lessons, and cocktail recipes visit us at http://www.drinkskool.com BAR Master Ryan Maybee demonstrates how to make a Bronx. Bronx . ">How to make a Bronx - DrinkSkool Cocktails https://www.youtube.com/embed/u6_TALX81B4

Jamie's joined by the King of Vermouth - top bartender Giuseppe Gallo - to make three fantastic cocktails, from the simple to the more advanced. Starting with the . ">Martini & Tonic, Negroni and Bronx: 3 Vermouth Cocktails | Jamie Oliver & Giuseppe Gallo

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  The Bronx Cocktail

  

  In 1931 and again in 1934, the iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel published cocktail books, capturing the drinks of the day and perhaps even more so the drinks of pre-Prohibition (and some from when drinking, well, er, wasn't so legal). "That's when blossoms [drinks with orange juice] became popular, because they hid the less-than-great liquors of the time," Frank Caiafa, author of the new Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, out this week, explains.

  Caiafa, who is the general manager of the hotel's Peacock Alley bar spent the past five years combing through the old books and updating the recipes for the modern palate. "My living room is an ode to cocktail and drinking books," he jokes. His bar, at least at work, is pretty well stocked, too.

  The result of his research is a book dedicated to the art of bartending and the history of some of New York's favorite cocktails during the 20th century. Though, the main thing Caiafa wanted was to create a bar book that's approachable for the novice home bartender. And it is. The recipes are concise and include directions about serving with garnishes, which the earlier books largely lacked. But the book is perhaps most useful as a reference guide to the history of American drinks.

  As for The Bronx cocktail, Caiafa writes, "Of all the cocktails associated or attributed to the Hotel, no one—not even the venerable Rob Roy—was as popular as The Bronx. Sometimes referred to as the Cosmopolitan of its day, it was one of the most requested cocktails prior to Prohibition." With the addition of bitters, it has a strong orangey note that might be best in the evening, but as Caiafa writes, "I love to imagine a time when rivers of gin and juice were consumed before three p.m. Those were the days." Indeed, they were.

  This is the modern version of The Bronx cocktail. If you would like to try the original version, omit the orange juice and replace it with two orange peels, squeezed over the glass and then added in. Instead of shaking, stir with ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an orange peel.

  The Bronx Cocktail

  Ingredients

  Ice, for shaking

  1½ ounces Beefeater London dry gin

  1 ounce orange juice

  ½ ounce Cinzano Rosso sweet vermouth

  ½ ounce Noilly Prat extra-dry vermouth

  1 dash Regans' Orange Bitters No. 6

  Directions

  1. In an ice-filled shaker, combine all the ingredients. Shake well, then strain into a chilled coupe glass and serve.

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  To-Dos allows Tasting Table members to store and remember all of the food and drink recommendations we send out each week. You've now added the To-Dos below to your personal list. You can access your To-Do list at any time by visiting http://TastingTable.com and clicking "Login". Happy eating!

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  Tasting Table serves genuine editorial. There is no pay for play: We only recommend products and services we love. If you read about a product or service on our site and make a purchase through the links we provide, we may receive a small commission or "affiliate fee" that we use to offset our editorial costs. "Partner Content" from our advertisers are not editorial recommendations and are clearly marked on every post or email as such. Click here for our editorial policy.

  © 2008–2017 TDT Media Inc. doing business as Tasting Table. All Rights reserved.

  The Bronx Cocktail - Great Gatsby Party Is A Zoo - Drink Is Too

  

  Bronx Cocktail Is Uptown With Manhattan And Martini

  In the 1930s & 40s, if you asked someone to name the classic cocktail, the Bronx would be a close contender to the Manhattan and the Martini. In fact, its really a perfect* variation of the latter with orange juice added to the mix.

  History Of The Bronx Cocktail

  Zoo You See Wild Animals After Drinking Too?

  Johnnie Solan † under the assumed name Johnnie Solon is largely credited ‡ with inventing the Bronx Cocktail while bartending at the Big Brass barroom at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel around 1900. Solon recounted the details of his story years later with Albert Stevens Crockett who included part of the interview in the Old Waldorf Astoria Bar Book he published in 1934.

  Turns out that the Bronx Cocktail is named after the zoo, and not the borough or New York City’s only fresh water river, the 24 mile long stretch of waterway honoring colonial settler Jonas Bronck. Coincidentally, the Bronx Zoological Park and the neighboring Gardens opened to the public on November 8, 1899, the same year Johnnie Solon is said to have started tending bar at the Waldorf.

  The Bronx Cocktail’s creation was inspired by a drink called the Duplex mixed with equal parts of French and Italian vermouths along with an orange peel or a couple dashes of orange bitters. Johnnie had just been mixing up a patron’s Duplex when Traverson, the head waiter from Waldorf-Astoria’s main dining area, the Empire Room, walked into the bar and challenged him to create an original drink recipe. Then he added a double dare by saying he had a customer who said “he couldn’t do it.”

  Johnnie Solon’s Original Bronx Cocktail Recipe:

  After shaking, Johnnie handed the drink to Traverson to try without sampling himself. His co-worker thought Johnnie was on to something really new and that it would turn out to be a big hit. With a visit to the Bronx Zoo a day or two earlier still fresh in his memory, combined with customers occasionally telling him of the visions of strange animals they saw after having a few too many, Traverson was told to tell the customer who challenged him that this new drink was called a ‘Bronx.’

  Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

  The first printed recipe 1 for the Bronx Cocktail, known so far, appeared in the July 14, 1905 edition of the Eau Claire (Wisconsin) Leader in reference to another mixed drink, the Sergeant Brue. In a New York Correspondence column which was at least in part a summary of popular drink fads in the city at the time, the article quotes someone, possibly a bartender, from the Marlborough Hotel, corner of Broadway & 36th Street in Manhattan, as saying:

  “The one called-for novelty here is the Sergeant Brue. The formula is: ‘Orange peel, two dashes angostura, one dash absinthe, two dashes benedictine or similar liquor, French vermouth, Italian vermouth and gin, equal parts.’ This must be frapped, and it forms an excellent summer appetizer.”

  The newspaper correspondent then goes on to say that a downtown favorite there in the summer was the Bronx Cocktail, comparing it to be exactly like the Sergeant Brue cocktail, but without the absinthe and benedictine. Also noting that the fad for it too was to be prepared as a frappe, not stirred with ice. So, by deduction the recipe is as follows.

  The Bronx Cocktail (earliest in print, 1905):

  By the way: Like the Adonis, Rob Roy and countless others, it was commonplace at the time to create signature drinks for Broadway plays. There’s little doubt that the Sergeant Brue cocktail followed suit and was named after the three act musical farce that opened with two runs at the Knickerbocker Theater on April 24, 1905 before closing at the Grand Opera House after 101 total performances on March 26, 1906.

  Honorable Mentions In Early Cocktail Recipe Books

  The Bronx Cocktail a la Billy Malloy of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania appears in the Honorable William T. (Cocktail) Boothby’s 1907 book, The World’s Drinks And How To Mix Them, as one-third each Plymouth gin along with both French and Italian vermouths, flavored with two dashes of orange bitters, about a bar-spoon of orange juice and a peel, squeezed. Serve very cold.

  In Jack’s Manual on The Vintage, Production, Care and Handling of Wines, Liquors, etc., a Handbook of Information for Home, Club or Hotel, Recipes for Fancy Mixed Drinks and When & How to Serve by J.A. Grohusko (1910), the Bronx Cocktail makes another early recipe book appearance. The directions there list the ingredients as 50% dry gin, 25% each French and Italian vermouths with a twist of orange peel. Fill glass with ice, shake and strain, serve.

  Bronx Wins Bronze Medal In Cocktail Olympics

  During its heyday, The Bronx Cocktail was listed as the third most popular conventional drink in the Western world in Burke’s Complete Cocktail & Drinking Recipes, with Recipes for Food Bits for the Cocktail Hour by Harman Burney Burke (1934). His top 10 then are listed below.

  1930s Most Popular Conventional Cocktails:

  1. Martini
  2. Manhattan
  3. Bronx Cocktail
  4. Old Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail
  5. Sidecar
  6. Clover Club Cocktail
  7. Gin Rickey
  8. Gin Fizz
  9. Bacardi Cocktail
  10. Alexander Cocktail No. 1

  Over half of these drinks then failed to make our more current list now, which is in no particular order. Times sure have changed.

  A Pop Culture Timeline

  • 1914 - A young F. Scott Fitzgerald, as a sophomore in college on Christmas break, sends newly met girlfriend Ginevra King a telegram saying he and his friend Sap Donahoe met up on the train ride from St. Paul, Minnesota back to Princeton, New Jersey and celebrated with a quart of Sauterne wine and three Bronxes. Apparently reliving a previous trip to New York where he had shocked Sap at the time by tossing down several Bronx cocktails in a row. 2

  Behind The Bar - How To Mix Da Bronx Cocktail At Home

  As the Bronx Cocktail (once considered an “American achievement” 7 ) faded from limelight, the drink variations noted above and elsewhere have become completely obscured by the myriad of choices that the craft-cocktail tsunami has washed ashore in the last couple decades. For the few, the proud, the marinas [sic] who still serve D'Bronx cocktail, the former International Bartender’s Association official recipe is probably the one its most associated with and enjoyed, maybe.

  After all, its no longer recognized or considered Da Bomb! [insert BRONX CHEER sound here]

  Bronx Cocktail Recipe (previously sanctioned as official by the IBA): 8

  Add the gin, OJ and both vermouths to a shaker with ice. Shake thoroughly and strain into a chilled glass. Optionally, garnish with an orange twist or peel.

  In The Movies

  A Bronx Tale

  Whoops, that wasn’t the drink. It was a Molotov Cocktail in The Bronx borough, though.

  The Bronx Cocktail - The Movie

  Yes, The Bronx Cocktail was the actual title of a silent movie 9 produced by the Independent Moving Pictures Company of America in 1912. It was released as a split reel in black and white as a comedy short together with another called A Bad Tangle. Details regarding the plot or cast of characters seem to be unavailable.

  There is quite a bit known about IMP though. After all, it was founded by Carl Laemmle, father of the Hollywood star system who was considered by many to be the original movie mogul, and is now known as Universal Pictures. They stole “America’s First Movie Star” Florence Lawrence, the Biograph Girl away from the Motion Picture Manufacturing and Sales Company in 1910 and signed Mary Pickford, who has her own signature drink by the way, shortly after. Its possible one or both of these actresses starred in The Bronx Cocktail movie, but they cranked out dozens of these short silents every year and America’s Sweetheart, Little Mary did leave IMP sometime in 1912.

  The Thin Man

  Former private detective Nick Charles (William Powell) is not thrilled about coming out of retirement to find the thin man with white hair Clyde Wynant (Edward Ellis), but his wealthy and thrill-seeking wife Nora (Myrna Loy) is. The Manhattan, the Martini, highballs and cocktails in general all had drinking roles in The Thin Man film which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1934, but we’re shining the spotlight on The Bronx Cocktail for now. Its featured in the first video clip in the montage above, followed by some more scenes with drinking humor.

  Shake your cocktails to the rhythm of the music starts off the highlights. Transcript is below.

  Nick: [Giving tips on how to mix some of the popular cocktails of the day to a group of bartenders behind the bar.] The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to Foxtrot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry Martini you always shake to Waltz time. [Places martini on serving tray and then steps back from the bar. Leo, the waiter, then turns and presents the drink, Nick picks up the glass, nods appreciation and then samples the bouquet while moving the cocktail back and forth directly under his nose. Note: the Texas two-step is 2 / 4 time, the Waltz is 3 / 4 time and the Foxtrot is music in 4 / 4 time.]

  Nora: How many drinks have you had? [Seated at a table with Nick.]

  Nick: This will make six Martinis.

  Nora: All right. Will you bring me five more Martinis, Leo? Line them right up here. [Apparently playing catch up.]

  Nora: Hey what about me, I mean us.

  Nick: Oh, this is a stag. Look, Molly you drink up some of your winnings. Uh, barkeeper, bring Mrs. Charles 240 Martinis, we won’t be long.

  Nora: I’ve heard that before. Come on Molly.

  Nick: Ammunition? Come on, stock up. [Carrying a tray of drinks at a tuxedo and black tie party.]

  Man leaning against the wall: No, I’ll let this one ride. Thanks.

  Nick: You better. Hard times may get you.

  Woman seated by the man standing: Nick, who are these amazing people?

  Nick: Oh, just a lot of old friends, Romans, countrymen. What do you say?

  Man #2: This is like old times Nick. Remember the fun we used have when we were flat broke?

  Man #2: Those were the good old days.

  Nick: Don’t kid yourself. These are the good old days.

  Man #3: Hey, Nick. I think your wife is great. [Someone who’s had too much to drink with false teeth removed.]

  Nick: Thanks, I want you to see her and I want her to see you.

  Man #4: Want to buy a piece of this pug Nick? I’ll sell you 25% of him for five grand.

  Man #4: He’s been knocking them cold lately and ain’t afraid to fight nobody. [He says to Nick.] Put that down or I’ll slug you. [Said to the boxer in training behind him who reaches for a cocktail.]

  Nick: Yeah, I’ll take a large piece of him. [Nick turns to another guest.] Having a good time? [Walks around the back of the room.] Here’s that man again. Ammunition? Highballs and cocktails, the long and short of it. That’s a pun I’m sure should be punished. [Smiles and continues to work the room.] For tomorrow may bring sorrow, so tonight let us be gay. [Singing.]

  Nora: More cocktails?

  Men by fireplace mantel: Thank you very much.

  Man #3: I certainly think you’re husband is great. [Still drunk, slurring his words and missing his two front teeth.]

  Nora: Have a cocktail? [Answers the front door with dog Asta watching. Reaches around with the tray to offer a drink before he steps in or she can even see who it is.]

  Face: Is Nick Charles here?

  Face: Your his wife?

  Face: Nice guy. Sent me up the river once. Hi, Nick.

  Face: Long time no see.

  Face: Well I needed the rest.

  Nora: Was he a good detective?

  Face: I wouldn’t know. That time he caught me was an accident if I remember right.

  Nick: Ha ha. Come on kid, shed the (1930s & 1940s slang for coat. Do you know the word for it?). I’ll bet you can’t wait to join the Yuletide revelers. Hey revelers, I want you to know ‘Face’ Tefler. Now all you have to do is find out who they are.

  Similar Sips

  The Antigua, Chorus Lady, Jack Withers, One Exciting Night and Yellow Rattler drink recipes all use the same four ingredients as the former IBA official Bronx Cocktail does, just in different proportions, with various garnishes, calling for specific brands, etc. Here’s some more riffs on the recipe below.

  Bronx Cocktail Variations:

  • Bronx Express - equal parts gin, dry vermouth and orange juice with a dash of absinthe.
  • Bronx Terrace - swaps lime juice for OJ and no sweet vermouth.
  • Golden Bronx - adds egg yolk.
  • Jack Sloat - plus pineapple juice.
  • Maurice / Midnight - shaken up with absinthe also.
  • Minnehaha Cocktail - pours on the pastis “laughing water.”
  • Peto - mixes in maraschino liqueur as well.
  • Silver Bronx - adds egg white.
  • Round The World - brandies about absinthe too.
  • Upissippi - mixed with grenadine rather than orange juice.
  • Victory - includes grenadine to boot.
  • XYZ Cocktail No. 1 - uses lemon juice instead of orange juice.

  Drinks Mixed With At Least 3 Of The Same Ingredients As The Bronx:

  • Beauty Spot Cocktail - a Bronx Cocktail with grenadine.
  • Church Lady Martini / Three Stripes Cocktail - gin, dry vermouth and OJ.
  • Dandie - an Orange Blossom with a few dashes of curacao.
  • Income Tax / Smiler Cocktail - adds aromatic bitters to Da Bronx.
  • Orange Blossom - gin, orange juice and sweet vermouth (optional).
  • Peter Pan Cocktail - gin, OJ, dry vermouth and peach bitters.
  • Satan’s Whiskers - straight: the Bronx with Grand Marnier & orange bitters; curled: use curacao instead of the liqueur.
  • Tango Cocktail - a Curled Satan’s Whiskers minus the orange bitters.
  • Tipperary Cocktail (No. 2.) - dry gin, French vermouth, grenadine and OJ garnished with sprigs of green mint.
  • Will Rogers Drink - gin, OJ, dry vermouth and curacao.
  • Wyoming Swing - both vermouths, OJ and sugar topped with soda.

  References

  * - Perfect cocktails contain a duplex of equal parts of both sweet and dry vermouth.

  † - Mike Solan comments on why his famous bartending grandfather used an alias while working at the Waldorf-Astoria at the turn of the 20th century. The minor spelling change seems unlikely to conceal the identity of the Bronx Cocktail creator as effectively as say the Mark Twain nom de plume of Samuel Clemens would for example, but family privacy was the reason given.

  ‡ - New York by way of Philly? An alternate source credits the Bronx Cocktail’s birthplace as Philadelphia. What Shall We Drink?: Popular Drinks, Recipes and Toasts by Magnus Bredenbek (1934) says the drink was discovered in the Quaker City in 1905 by Bronx restaurateur, Joseph Sormani, with the recipe being 4:1:1 gin, orange juice and Italian sweet red vermouth. His New York Times obituary also says he originated the drink. Hmm?

  1 - Twitter pic of 1905 newspaper column first referencing the Bronx cocktail via @mixellany.

  2 - Scott Fitzgerald by Andrew Turnbull (1962) via F. Scott Fitzgerald Papers, Princeton University Library.

  3 - Heavyweight Athletics, Photoplay Magazine, August, 1915.

  4 - This Side Of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1920).

  5 - Dusk of Dawn: An Essay Toward an Autobiography of a Race Concept by William Edward Burghardt Du Bois, Oxford University Press, 1940.

  6 - Postscripts to the American Language, “The Vocabulary of the Drinking Chamber” by H. L. Mencken; The New Yorker, November 6, 1948, p. 108.

  7 - “I turn west toward Times Square. This is the ‘cocktail hour,’ when the bars of the big hotels once were lined with tired business men, three deep, seeking balm after a hard day’s labor in those American achievements, the Bronx, the Clover Club and the Royal Smile a.k.a the Jack Rose.” via Waldron, Webb. “Where is America going?” The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, Volume 100 July 1920: 428. Print.

  8 - Prior to 2008, the Bronx Cocktail was an IBA Official Cocktail classified as a before-dinner aperitif along with the Americano, Bacardi Cocktail, Daiquiri(s), Gibson, Kir, Manhattan(s), Margarita, Martini(s), Negroni, Old Fashioned, Paradise, Rob Roy, Rose and the Whiskey Sour. It has since failed to make the cut into any of their three new main categories: The Unforgettables, Contemporary Classics and New Era Drinks. That’s a shame.

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  You can make these cocktails. Start right now.

  The Bronx Cocktail

  

  The Bronx Cocktail is a light and simple drink, something you might serve as a luncheon cocktail, or even a brunch cocktail, if you’re looking for something more assertive than the usual Mimosas and Bellinis to launch you into the noonday sunshine.

  History of the Bronx

  The usually accepted story of the Bronx is that it was invented as just such a lunchtime thirst quencher by Johnnie Solon at the Big Brass Rail barroom at New York City’s Waldorf Hotel. (That was before they built the Empire State Building on the site.) It appeared in William Boothby’s 1908 The World’s Drinks and How to Mix Them , and quickly achieved cocktail celebrity status—by the end of Prohibition, only the Martini and the Manhattan were more popular than the Bronx. It was a handy recipe to know in a culture that had lots of dodgy gin, and lots of orange juice to cover it up.

  Despite its early popularity, the Bronx faded, then fell completely from sight in the decades since WWII.

  As William Grimes put it in Straight Up or On the Rocks:

  “The Bronx was the Bukharin of cocktails, denounced with unseemly enthusiasm as the Stalinist orthodoxy of the martini rigidified. It’s too bad, because the Bronx deserves to be counted among the classics. It is a very good cocktail.”

  Such was the fate of vermouth-laden cocktails in the second half of the 20th Century.

  The Bronx Cocktail

  Building the Bronx

  The Bronx is often described as a Perfect Martini with orange juice. Recipes are all over the map; the amount of orange juice, for example, ranges from an ounce of orange juice per drink all the way down to just a spoonful. There is even something called the “Bronx Cocktail—No. 2” in Gale and Marco’s The How and When (1940) that contains no orange juice at all, only an orange twist. We’re pretty much back to the Perfect Martini again with that one.

  The version I prefer is based directly on Gary Regan’s formula ( The Joy of Mixology , 2003):

  • 2 oz gin (Tanqueray, Boodles)
  • 1 oz orange juice
  • ¼–½ oz dry vermouth (Dolin Blanc, Noilly Prat French Dry)
  • ¼–½ oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)
  • 2 dashes orange bitters (Bitter Truth Orange Bitters)

  Shake all with ice until cold; strain into a chilled cocktail stem. Express and garnish with orange twist.

  The Bronx works best with juniper-forward gins like Tanqueray or Bombay Dry; an experiment with the lighter Boodles went well, though the orange juice dominated the drink. If you enjoy less “junipery” gins, it would certainly be worthwhile to tune this drink for your specific favorite.

  With a juniper-forward gin, I like this 2:1 ratio of gin to juice. As the Boodles experiment indicated, orange juice is a real flavor driver; the juice will take over the drink if you increase its proportion even a little. As always, this should be freshly squeezed juice, it makes all the difference. (And if you have access to many kinds of fresh oranges, I envy your opportunity to experiment with flavors.)

  Regan’s formula suggests the quarter-ounce measures of the vermouths. I prefer the half-ounce portion, but that is going to be driven by the sweetness of your oranges, and by the vermouths you have on hand. The vermouth is definitely the “tuning” ingredient in the Bronx.

  Still have some oranges on hand? Coming up next: Satan’s Whiskers.

  “The Bronx Cocktail” at cold-glass.com : All text and photos © 2011 Douglas M. Ford. All rights reserved.

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  Doug Ford

  I am a journalist and photographer. Once upon a time I had a corporate job; now I don't, which is a pretty happy situation, all in all. People tell me I'm writing a book.

  59 thoughts on “ The Bronx Cocktail ”

  Looking good right about now — is it a problem that it’s only 10:30 a.m. here?

  Obsessed. I’ve known that there is a cocktail for each boro but yet to try them all. I am in love with your recipe and pic so you’ve inspired me to write a quick blog post about them. Used your pic and gave credit. Keep up the good work!

  Yes, New York barmen do seem to love the idea of naming drinks after their neighborhoods. I’ve tried quite a few of them, and some are, shall we say, more attractive than others. But I still have a way to go on my Tour de Boroughs.

  I’m glad you enjoyed the Bronx; thanks for the credit in your posting.

  It seems a great drink. I will try it some time.

  Definitely trying that this weekend…

  It looks a little bit like egg yoke but I’ll try anything once!

  Egg yolk, very amusing. I had a similar thought, actually… That’s one of the hazards of orange twist garnishes, I guess. Perhaps I’ll style that garnish differently in the future. Enjoy your Bronx!

  needs more gin—but ill still drink it

  It sounds kinda like a cross between a left handed screwdriver and a martini. It sounds interesting.

  looks scrumptious! did i mention it’s 4:28am in tokyo right now?

  Can’t wait to try this! I could definitely use a stiff drink tonight.

  hahaha, at first when i saw the photo, I thought it was a raw egg floating in a glass and I though, “hmm, odd.” then I clicked on it and was like, “oh, duh…” :)

  Yeah, there’s that orange garnish again. The floating rounds look good in “real life,” but I’ll have to stick to other shapes for the photos.

  I am working on a blog about the essential liquers every twentysomething should have in their pantry and I was wondering if you could suggest anything? Perhaps some that are used in many cocktails?

  Depends on what you want to do with that pantry.

  If you’re supplying just for yourself, you can just buy the stuff you need to make your favorite drink(s). If the only thing you drink is martinis, all you need is your favorite gin, a good dry vermouth, your garnish of choice, lots of ice, and Bob’s your uncle. The minimalist bar, sort of like the old detective stories, with the whiskey flagon in the bottom desk drawer. (Except vermouth goes in the fridge.)

  If your tastes range more widely, or if you entertain friends with diverse preferences, you’ll need to devote more pantry space to the project. The basic generalist’s pantry would likely include your favorite vodka, gin, bourbon, and rum, plus sweet and dry vermouths, and angostura bitters. Perhaps some Cointreau. And of course, lots regular grocery items, like fruits, lots of ice, and soda, cola, and/or ginger ale.

  Have you checked out David Solmonson’s 12 Bottle Bar? (You can click to him from the Blogroll link in the sidebar.) He is making a disciplined (and successful) attempt to maintain a minimalist back bar—yes, 12 bottles—and his description of his philosophy and choices may guide your thoughts.

  Thanks for asking.

  Ooo I wish I had known about this cocktail back when I was in a bronx high school. Umm not that anyone under 21 should drink. Great post!

  I’m glad you enjoyed the post. There will be more, follow!

  This looks and sounds yummy! Thank you, even though I’m a Brooklynite “)

  Cocktail with a side of history, gotta love it!

  All the great cocktails (and some of the not-so-great) do seem to have a story. Or two. And not necessarily true, but always entertaining.

  I’m head barman at a jazz lounge in Colorado, and I’ve recently begun making Bronx cocktails with Oxley, the botanicals of which combine in a surprisingly pleasant way with the OJ and the orange bitters.

  I haven’t encountered Oxley here in beautiful Minnesota. If I get a chance, I’ll try your recommendation. Thanks.

  Love this!! And I don’t even care its in the middle of the week and the weekend is still 2 lifetimes away…lol. Love your blog. Have subscribed!!

  I’m glad you enjoyed it, thanks for subscribing.

  delicious! cant wait to try this drink this coming weekend!! thanx for the blog. =P

  looks fantastic and sounds refreshing. never heard of it, but now i’ve gotta try it out. i love cocktails. i don’t really discriminate :)

  If it turns out you like the Bronx, then be sure to try Satan’s Whiskers.

  That does look tasty!

  Humm, a cocktail recipe with a story, wonderful! i know how to cook but not how to prepare cocktails!! It was good to find your blog . )

  So many cocktails, so many stories. I’m delighted that you found Cold Glass. And hey, your blog shows you to be a careful and detail-oriented cook, so you’ll have no problem with making cocktails. Have fun!

  This looks delicious and love the story. Thanks!

  yummo that looks awesome! :-)

  yummy! craving for 1 right now in the middle of a hot afternoon!

  I think a Bronx (or two) would be just the thing on a hot afternoon. Excellent.

  Well this is one I HAVE to try – Gin is, and always has been my tipple of choice! and anything with Gin in it goes down well with me. I am bored with serving Bucks Fizz, Mimosas, Bellini’s (and/or Pimms in summer) so the Bronx looks right up my street!. My one question is about the orange bitters – as an ex-Londoner now living in Beijing, I am not familiar with these, the only bitters I know of are Angostura Bitters (used for making a Pink Gin). How commonly available are orange bitters? Could I substitute Angostura or would that wreak havoc with the cocktail?

  BTW the nickname for Gin in the UK is ‘Mother’s Ruin’ but my (now adult) kids rebranded during the Iraq war – now it is referred to as ‘Weapon of Ma’s Destruction’ – corny joke!

  I’m glad the Bronx catches your imagination; yes, it does make a nice warm weather drink.

  Angostura aromatic bitters would not be your friend in the Bronx. I tried this experiment once, accidentally (note to self: don’t forget which cocktail you’re making…), and I can tell you from experience that aromatic bitters have no place in this drink, no. Much better to leave the bitters out altogether. The drink is acceptable without orange bitters, brilliant with.

  Orange bitters were a nearly defunct ingredient until a few years ago; the cocktailian movement and a rising interest in the classics has returned them to the US market, where there are now at least a half-dozen brands readily available.

  Alas! I have no idea if you can get such things in Beijing. It would be interesting to learn if there are locally produced products that are, in essence, orange bitters? It’s an intriguing line of inquiry, since the Chinese culture is more in tune with herbal medicines than seems generally true in western countries.

  I do know that Fee Brothers and Bitter Truth make excellent orange bitters that are available in the UK, and I believe that the Angostura Orange is available there also. Perhaps you have friends coming to visit soon?

  I’m glad you found Cold Glass; thank you for taking the time to comment.

  It looks delicious and very well may be my perfect martini. I’ll have to give it a try this weekend. Thank you for the recipe and the info on the gin options. Cheers!

  I hope you enjoy it, thanks.

  looks good to me! I’ll try it.

  This is marvelous! I shall have to subtitle it “Buster Bronx” in honor of my father as it has some of his favorite ingredients. Totally true about the fresh squeezed oranges! Thanks for sharing!

  Here’s to Buster Bronx!

  Amazing, I am going to try it right away!

  Thanks for sharing.

  looks like a raw egg!

  Umm Gin fanatic here… is this a commonly known recipe in NYC bars or am I gonna have to go and buy some Vermouth? ;-)

  The Bronx is a pretty famous cocktail; I imagine that, barring some sort of silly neighborhood politics, any skilled barman would be able to provide a decent version.

  On the other hand—I’d go get the vermouth, too. They always taste better at home.

  Love this! ;-) Keep up the good work and ill keep following you!!

  Wow….. It looks very delicious.. can’t wait to try It!

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