Hanky Panky Cocktail Recipe

The Hanky Panky cocktail was invented at the American Bar at London’s Savoy Hotel in the early twentieth century. Head bartender Ada “Coley” Coleman developed the drink for famed London stage actor Sir Charles Hawtrey. According to the story told by Coleman, Hawtrey asked for a cocktail with “a bit of punch.” After hours of experimentation, Coleman created a cocktail recipe that is essentially a play on the Sweet Martini, with a bit of Fernet Branca added to provide the “punch” that Hawtrey desired and with an orange peel garnish. When Hawtrey tasted the new cocktail for the first time, he purportedly remarked: “By Jove! That is the real hanky-panky!” The drink became widely popular after it was included in The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, who succeeded Ada Coleman as head bartender at The Savoy.