Nippon Cocktail
A Manhattan from Japan.
Japanese whisky and sweet vermouth, stirred in the manner of a Manhattan, with a touch of ginger liqueur adding spiced warmth. Elegant, smooth and made for slow sipping.
- After dinner
- Stirred
- Glass
- Coupe
- Method
- Stirred
- Strength
- Strong
- Time
- 3 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Ice
- No ice
Ingredients
Measures for 1 serving
-
Japanese whisky
45 ml
-
Sweet red vermouth
30 ml
-
Ginger liqueur
7.5 ml
Garnish
- Lemongrass leaf knot
Proportions
How to make
- Chill a coupe.
- Fill a mixing glass with ice.
- Pour the Japanese whisky.
- Add the sweet red vermouth.
- Add the ginger liqueur.
- Stir until well chilled.
- Strain into the chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a knotted lemongrass leaf.
The story
Origins
ProbableA plausible account, without definitive proof.
The Nippon Cocktail is a modern drink built on the Manhattan template: whisky, sweet vermouth and an aromatic accent, here given by ginger liqueur instead of bitters. Difford's Guide and other recipe sites credit it to Giuseppe Gallo, an Italian bartender working in London and founder of Italicus liqueur, but none of the sources consulted says where or when it was created. The name points to Japan, home of the whisky used as its base. Published measures do not fully agree: some sources give equal parts whisky and vermouth with more ginger liqueur, while the Difford's version leans on the whisky.
Sources (3)
- Difford's Guide — Nippon Cocktail (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- Cocktails Distilled — Nippon Cocktail (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
- DrinksWorld — Nippon Cocktail (opens in a new tab) recipe and history
Taste profile
- Strong
- 4 out of 5
- Sweet
- 2 out of 5
- Herbal
- 2 out of 5
- Spicy
- 2 out of 5
