Bamboo
Dry, saline, refined.
Dry sherry and dry vermouth in equal parts, tied together with a few dashes of orange bitters. A light, bone-dry aperitif with nutty and herbal notes, ideal before dinner.
- Aperitif
- Stirred
- Glass
- Cocktail glass
- Method
- Stirred
- Strength
- Light
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Dry sherry
45 ml
-
Dry vermouth
45 ml
-
Orange bitters
2 dashes
-
Angostura bitters (optional)
1 dash
Garnish
- Lemon twist
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Pour the sherry.
- Pour the dry vermouth.
- Add the orange bitters.
- Add a dash of Angostura, if desired.
- Stir for 20-30 seconds.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.
The story
Origins
ProbableA plausible account, without definitive proof.
The Bamboo is one of the sherry cocktails born in the wake of the Manhattan, when bartenders were looking for lighter drinks. In September 1886 American newspapers described a new drink called bamboo, three parts sherry to one of vermouth, introduced to New York bars by an Englishman. Its creation is traditionally credited to Louis Eppinger, a German bartender in San Francisco who later ran the bar of the Grand Hotel in Yokohama: William Boothby wrote in 1908 that he originated and named it in Japan. Yet Eppinger reached Yokohama only around 1889-1890, after the first reports of the drink. The first recipe-book appearance is in Thomas Stuart's 1904 manual.
Sources (4)
- Difford's Guide — Bamboo (Difford's 'classic' recipe) (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails — Bamboo Cocktail (David Wondrich) (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- Saveur — Bamboo Cocktail (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- IBA — All cocktails, page 1 (Bamboo not listed) (opens in a new tab) recipe
Taste profile
- Dry
- 4 out of 5
- Herbal
- 3 out of 5
- Citrus
- 2 out of 5
- Bitter
- 1 out of 5
