Hanky Panky

Fernet must be one of, if not the most, divisive liqueur found in bars around the world. Be careful in measuring properly when making this recipe, lest you discover how easily it can dominate a drink.

Much like other intense liqueurs, fernet is an acquired taste. You may not like it the first time you try it, but it would be a disservice to discount it completely. Not only would it mean that you’re discarding a great selection of recipes, but you’d also do away with an interesting ingredient to add to your own creations.

To further the last point, consider the recipe without the fernet: It’s a pairing of gin and vermouth, which is found in several other cocktails. However, the very minimal addition of fernet immediately separates this drink into its own territory and has given it the classic recipe status.

Ada “Coley” Coleman came up with this drink circa 1921 while working in the American Bar of the Savoy Hotel in London. She created the drink for Sir Charles Hawtrey, a famous actor who frequented the bar. 

The name comes from Hawtrey’s reaction to the drink: “By Jove, this is the real hanky panky!”.

In the early 1900s, hanky panky mostly referred to trickery, like in three-card monte, or a magic trick. It is possibly derived from ‘hoky-poky’ or ‘hocus-pocus’. Later on, it began being used to refer to sexual activity, especially when regarded as somewhat improper.