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Cocktail History
The Bronx is a classic cocktail that was created by Johnny Solon in the early 1900s at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, New York. It is essentially a lighter, fruitier take on a perfect martini that is made with gin, citrus, and vermouth, and although it’s since been overshadowed by the Manhattan, it was considered the #3 cocktail in the world at one point. It was also named for the Bronx Zoo in New York.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Prairie Organic Spirits Navy Strength Gin because it has a high alcohol content and features notes of lemon zest, angelica root, and blended spices. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin.
Orange Juice: This is the liquid juice of an orange. We used freshly squeezed orange juice.
Dry Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambéry because it has a light and airy flavor profile with notes of Alpine herbs. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the dry vermouth.
Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth because it’s a high quality vermouth with dark notes of herbs, figs, licorice, cinnamon, and cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Orange Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters.
Orange Wedge: This a slice of an orange that has been cut into a wedge shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. We used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.
Tasting Notes
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Although similar to other classics, this drink’s gin base makes the Bronx very flavorful, fruity, and somewhat sweet compared to the whiskey-based Manhattan. Kendall actually liked this recipe a lot more than those, but Alex preferred the more famous borough.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“This one took a few tries to get right, but the variation we settled on is probably more or less what it was supposed to taste like: a fairly dry gin cocktail. At first taste, we both assumed it needed more sweetness, but it was most likely designed to be as dry as it is since it is a Prohibition-era cocktail; tastes and palates were much different at the time. Neither of us loved it admittedly and probably wouldn’t come back to it, but it was a tastefully complex cocktail that has earned its place among the drinks of its era.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“We tried three different versions of this cocktail, each with varying amounts of the ingredients, and although still too dry for my taste, this is definitely the best take we found. I do prefer the Bronx over the Manhattan, but I understand why this one’s been somewhat lost to time. Even with our adjustments, it’s really just not that complex. I doubt I would request this classic again.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
Add gin, orange juice, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with orange wedge.
Ingredients
Directions
Add gin, orange juice, dry vermouth, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with orange wedge.
Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Gin in place of the gin, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Dry in place of the dry vermouth, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth, and All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Classic Cocktails
If you like this classic cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Manhattan: A whiskey cocktail made with sweet vermouth, orange bitters, an orange peels, and a cherry
Vesper Martini: A gin and vodka cocktail made with Lillet Blanc and a lemon twist
Brooklyn: A rye cocktail made with dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon
Martinez: A gin cocktail made with sweet vermouth, cherry liqueur, and orange bitters
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