A cocktail historian would probably tell you that the Bronx cocktail is a direct descendant of the Martini. Fortunately, you don’t know any cocktail historians, so you don’t have to listen to a long-winded saga full of apocryphal stories and nitpicky distinctions. Just know that this is pretty much a perfect Martini with orange juice. And, yes, “perfect Martini” is a real, technical term. It means a Martini made with equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, and, if you were wondering, you can also make a perfect Manhattan - which is actually a much more common drink than a perfect Martini. Oh god, we’re cocktail historians now.
How It Tastes: Crisp, Juicy, Strong
Drink If You Like:Martini, Gimlet
photo credit: Nate Watters
The Bronx
You’ll Need:
Ice
Coupe or martini glass
.5 ounce dry vermouth
.5 ounce sweet vermouth
.75 ounce orange juice
1.5 ounces gin
Step One: Dry Vermouth
Not to brag, but we used to get invited into a lot of homes, and in those homes, we’d often see an open bottle of dry vermouth hanging out on a bar cart. And that’s probably why so many people have mixed feelings toward dry vermouth. You’re supposed to keep it in the fridge, and use the bottle within a month of opening. Thank you for listening to that vermouth rant. Put .5 ounce dry vermouth in your shaker.
Step Two: Sweet Vermouth
Everything we just said about dry vermouth applies to sweet vermouth as well. So go to your fridge, get your sweet vermouth, and add .5 ounce to your shaker.
Step Three: Orange Juice
Have you ever been to Paris, walked into a grocery store, and seen one of those big contraptions where you can fill up a bottle with fresh orange juice? French people, apparently, know a lot about juice. Fresh is always better - and fresh orange juice is a little bit tart, which makes it all that more important that you use it here. It’ll help balance out your cocktail. Pour .75 ounce in your shaker.
Step Four: Gin
Add 1.5 ounces of gin to your cocktail shaker. We typically just use a London Dry variety (like Tanqueray or Beefeater), but there’s plenty of good stuff out there. Just find something you like.
Step Five: Shake
Let’s get this ice-cold and little bit frothy with a strong 15-second shake. Once your arms get tired or your roommate starts to shout at you, stop shaking and strain everything into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Finally, take a sip of your cocktail and text someone to inform them that you’re drinking a Bronx. When they ask what that is, use the face with rolling eyes emoji.
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