Cocktail: Rolls Royce

I came across this drink while perusing The Savoy Cocktail Book, by Harry Craddock, the 1930s classic of cocktail literature. Martini fans should be encouraged to try this drink, a mixture of gin and vermouth (both dry and sweet) with a touch of Benedictine liqueur. I added the orange bitters, as I think most cocktails benefit from their finishing touch.

The original recipe's ratio of base spirit (gin, in this case) to other ingredients is 1:1. I've upped the proportion of gin, making it it 2:1, which is in keeping with our modern taste for slightly stronger drinks. I also stirred the drink instead of shaking it like the book says, since the drink is composed entirely of boozy ingredients (shaking is better employed for cocktails that include juices or syrups--ingredients that won't mix well with just stirring). Similar changes were made when the drink appeared in Imbibe magazine.

Rolls Royce Cocktail
Adapted from The Savoy Cocktail Book

2 oz. Bombay Sapphire London dry gin
1/2 oz. Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
1/2 oz. Carpano dry vermouth
1 tsp. Benedictine liqueur
2 dashes Regan's orange bitters
Lemon twist garnish

Combine gin, vermouths, liqueur and bitters in a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with lemon twist.