Adonis（アドニス）
The Bamboo's sweeter twin — sherry meets Italian vermouth, and Broadway gets the credit.
01Recipe
Recommended recipe
House spec — an editorial spec drawing on the sourced versions below.
| Ingredient | Measure |
|---|---|
| Fino sherry | 45 ml |
| Sweet vermouth | 45 ml |
| Orange bitters | 2 dash |
Total volume (pre-dilution)
1 : 1
- 01
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice.
- 02
Stir until well chilled.
- 03
Strain into a chilled coupe. Express orange twist.
Garnish — Orange twist
02Taste profile
- Sweetness
- 65Strong
- Sourness*
- 0Faint
- Bitterness
- 40Moderate
- Fruitiness
- 45Moderate
- Herbal*
- 28Light
- Alcohol
- 40Moderate
- Crisp
- 50Moderate
Independent editorial scores, 0–100. *Estimated from the ingredient list — a profile sketch, not a verdict.
03History
New York, 1880s. The Waldorf bar named the drink for 'Adonis', the 1884 burlesque that made Henry E. Dixey the era's most-famous legs — proof that cocktails and theatre were always drinking buddies.
The recipe appears in Jerry Thomas's 1887 'Bar-Tender's Guide' — equal parts sherry and sweet vermouth — making it one of the earliest recorded low-alcohol cocktails.
The Adonis stayed where the Bamboo went: same glasses, same construction, opposite mood. Where Bamboo is dry and cerebral, Adonis is plush.
Origin contested — the entry keeps verified record and received legend distinct.
Sources — Thomas (1887) · Difford's Guide · Wondrich, Imbibe! (2007)
04Recipe versions
Each version is shown exactly as recorded in its source — unverified claims are flagged.
- Jerry Thomas, Bar-Tender's Guide
Jerry Thomas, Bar-Tender's Guide
Jerry Thomas · 1887 · Book · unverified
- sherry and sweet vermouth1 part
Stir, strain.
Thomas's 1887 printing — one of the earliest recorded low-ABV cocktails.
Pick 2 versions to compare — up to 3 on a wider screen
05Variations
06The map
Spirits
