The Delmonico Cocktail

By Tom Ufer

1 ounce gin 1/2 ounce brandy 1/2 ounce dry vermouth 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth 1 dash orange bitters Garnish: Lemon twist Stir with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass

While I could not find any historical evidence, I believe the Delmonico cocktail was created to honor the original Delmonico Restaurant founded in New York City in 1830. John and Peter Delmonico created the very first restaurant in America where people could come in for lunch or dinner and choose their meals from a “bill of fare.” This was an entirely new concept and was met with great enthusiasm.

The Delmonico family ran their restaurants in various incarnations until 1923 when Prohibition caused this restaurant, and many others like it, had to close its doors. Without the markup in liquor, the business could not turn a profit.

The Delmonico name has been resurrected by several restaurants around the country but none of them has any connection to the Delmonico family.

The cocktail itself is very smooth and a little on the sweet side. It has a pleasant golden hue. The predominant flavor comes from a blending of the brandy and sweet vermouth. The flavor of gin, dry vermouth and a hint of bitters blossom at the finish.

I enjoyed this cocktail very much. I like that it uses both dry and sweet vermouth. I feel vermouth has an undeserved bad reputation with the general drinking public. Of course, any cocktail that includes gin is an almost guaranteed winner in my book. 

Tom Ufer, CigarSmokingMan as he’s known on his blog, leads a semi-peaceful life in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. He is married with two young daughters at home (hence, the not so peaceful). Frequent trips to Ybor City and fine cigar shops keep his sanity in check. Other hobbies include home roasting coffee beans, learning about and mixing classic cocktails and an appreciation of port wine. He is also studying Texas Hold ‘Em and looking for the PokerStar in him.

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