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All cocktails Gypsy Queen

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Gypsy Queen

Classic/vintage · Hall of Fame and must know/try · Spirit-forward

4.0 140 ratings

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Bénédictine D.O.M.
1 dash Aromatic bitters

How to make

Serve in a nick & nora glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill a NICK & NORA GLASS.
  2. 2 Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.

Method

  1. 3 STIR all ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. 5 EXPRESS orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour profile

31.5% alc./vol. · 1.4 standard drinks · 148 calories

History

Vodka fortifies this complex cocktail of honey, spice, and herbs.

The earliest known mention of the Gypsy Queen was found by drinks historian David Wondrich in a 1938 booklet from The Russian Tea Room in New York City. This find positions it as one of the first vodka cocktails in the United States. David Embury, in his significant 1948 book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, stated, "The original recipe calls for a proportion of 1 to 2. This, however, is rather sweet. About 5 top 6 parts vodka to 1 of Benedictine makes a much better drink." The recipe presented here uses a 3 to 1 ratio. Embury's own "Gypsy or Gypsy Queen" recipe suggests a ratio of 1-part Benedictine to 2 to 6 parts Vodka, with "1 dash Orange Bitters to each drink." However, using Angostura or comparable aromatic bitters is said to result in a more balanced cocktail.