Affinity
Scotch in perfect balance.
Scotch whisky, sweet vermouth and dry vermouth in equal parts, with a couple of dashes of Angostura. It is essentially a Scotch Perfect Manhattan: aromatic, dry and gentler than it looks.
- Aperitif
- Stirred
- Glass
- Cocktail glass
- Method
- Stirred
- Strength
- Medium
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Scotch whisky
30 ml
-
Sweet red vermouth
30 ml
-
Dry vermouth
30 ml
-
Angostura bitters
2 dashes
Garnish
- Lemon twist
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Pour the Scotch whisky.
- Pour the sweet red vermouth.
- Pour the dry vermouth.
- Add the Angostura bitters.
- Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Express the lemon zest over the drink and drop it in.
The story
Origins
DocumentedOrigin attested by written sources of the time.
The Affinity has no known inventor. It first appears in the New York Sun of 28 October 1907, presented as a Broadway novelty but in a different form: Scotch, Italian vermouth, sugar and orange bitters, shaken. The version drunk today, with Scotch, French vermouth and Italian vermouth in equal parts plus a couple of dashes of aromatic bitters, appears in 1909 in Jacob A. Didier's pocket guide. The recipe was repeated by Hugo Ensslin in 1917 and by the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, which dropped the cherry garnish. The IBA included it in its first list in 1961 and removed it in 1987.
Taste profile
- Herbal
- 3 out of 5
- Strong
- 3 out of 5
- Dry
- 3 out of 5
- Bitter
- 2 out of 5
