Delmonico

Shake Gin, Cognac, Dry Vermouth, Sweet Vermouth with ice. Strain into a coupe.

Despite the original Delmonico restaurant no longer standing, its cocktail legacy lives on, though it's rarely featured in contemporary cocktail literature. Neither Boothby’s American Bar-tender (1891) nor Kappeler’s Modern American Drinks (1895) mention the Delmonico Cocktail. The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book (1935), however, describes it as a mix of orange bitters, half French vermouth and half Plymouth gin with two slices of orange peel, crediting its origins to the bar at Old Delmonico’s. Modern interpretations vary widely in their ingredients, including different measures of Gin, Brandy, Dry and Sweet Vermouth, and Bitters. As a Vermouth-based drink, it likely dates back to the late 1800s, around 1876 according to David Wondrich, who suggests it was created at Delmonico’s Madison Square location. Wondrich’s recipe calls for 0.75 oz Gin and an orange twist, but we prefer the more common version with 1 oz Gin and a lemon twist.

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