The Bronx Cocktail Recipe

The Bronx cocktail is described as a simple variation of the perfect martini with the addition of orange juice. Though the origin of the Bronx is questionable it is generally accepted that it was the rival to the Manhattan cocktail and invented by Johnnie Solon from the Waldorf Astoria, New York, sometime shortly after 1900 and named after the Bronx Zoo. The Bronx cocktail is a foundational drink in American cocktail history and one of the earliest named cocktails to emerge from New York’s golden age of bartending. Created in the early twentieth century, it represents a pivotal moment when classic formulas were expanded with fresh citrus to create brighter, more aromatic drinks.

The Bronx cocktail was created in 1910 by Johnny Solon, a bartender at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. According to contemporary accounts, Solon devised the drink in response to a customer seeking something different from a standard Martini. By adding sweet vermouth and fresh orange juice to the familiar gin and dry vermouth base, he created a cocktail that was both complex and refreshing.

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Often described as a bridge between the Martini and the Manhattan, the Bronx combines gin, both sweet and dry vermouth, and orange juice into a refined yet approachable cocktail. Although less famous today than its contemporaries, the Bronx remains a key example of pre-Prohibition creativity and innovation. Its revival within modern craft cocktail culture has renewed appreciation for its balance, versatility, and historical significance.

The drink was named after the Bronx Zoo, which had recently opened and captured public attention as a symbol of modern urban culture. The Bronx cocktail quickly gained popularity and appeared in early cocktail books such as Hugo Ensslin’s Recipes for Mixed Drinks in 1916. Today, it stands as an important milestone in the evolution of American mixology.

The Bronx Cocktail Recipe

Ingredient

• 2 oz of gin

• ¼ oz of dry vermouth

• ¼ oz of sweet vermouth

• 1 oz fresh orange juice

• 1 dash of orange bitters (optional)

Assembly

Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.