A dry and nutty sipper, the Bamboo cocktail is a classic recipe best enjoyed as an apéritif.
Tonight’s tipple is a world-renowned and well-traveled one. As I read up on its history, I couldn’t help but imagine those wonderful globe-trotting sequences from the Indiana Jones movies, where we see a classic aircraft superimposed over an antique map, circa the early twentieth-century. An era of steamships and trimotors, with adventure being the destination.
The Bamboo cocktail’s name even evokes far-off lands and rustic taverns, occupied by characters seeking fortune and glory… or maybe just a strong and refreshing drink. And this particular recipe has long legs and mileage, having been around for well over a century.
Supposedly invented in the foggy, atmospheric city of San Francisco in the 1880s, the Bamboo was likely the creation of bartender Louis Eppinger. When Eppinger began to manage the Grand Hotel bar in Yokohama, Japan, at the start of the 1900s, the drink soon became one of the most popular cocktails in that country, and has remained so to this day.
A split-base beverage, which means it uses equal parts vermouth and sherry, the Bamboo is a lighter potency concoction that has a balanced, dry and savory profile. Have one or two before your next meal to stimulate your appetite.
What is the best alcohol to use in a Bamboo Cocktail?
For the dry vermouth, I highly recommend going for something like a bottle of Dolin or Noilly Prat. These are excellent products that will both elevate and balance any drink you use them in. As for the sherry, our recipe suggests going for either fino or Manzanilla. While both are dry, fortified wines, the latter is a coastal product, and is only made in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain and features salty, floral and briny notes as a result. The fino carries a richer, sharper nutty flavor due to the wider area it can be produced in.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces dry sherry fino or Manzanilla recommended
- 1 1/2 ounces dry vermouth
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a mixing glass with ice. Add the dry sherry, dry vermouth, and bitters.
- Stir the mixture for about 30 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
- Express the oils of a lemon twist over the drink and use it as garnish.
Nutrition
What glassware and garnish are used?
Chill a coupe or champagne goblet in your freezer for up to 30 minutes before serving. You can also fill it with ice while prepping your drink and dump that out before pouring. Express the oils from a lemon twist over your cocktail and place that gently on top for garnish.
Stirred or shaken?
Stir your Bamboo cocktail instead of shaking it. This will gently dilute the drink while chilling it, and give your mixture a soft and silky texture.
Similar drinks to the Bamboo Cocktail
Stepping out this evening by staying in? Is the Bamboo the type of elixir that’ll make for an elegant and sophisticated night at home? Perhaps you’re searching for a few other like-minded recipes, the kind that fit in a stylish and long-stemmed coupe. Twist & Toast can point you in the right direction. Get those gowns and tuxes ready whenever you make any of these.
- Hanky Panky – Set the perfect mood with this gin-based potion.
- Yellow Bird – A tropical treat, both strong and citrusy.
- Mary Pickford – Have a few of this rum-filled concoction, named for the Hollywood icon.
- Aviation – Each sip soars in this classic libation.
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