Recipe

• 1oz French Dry Vermouth (Dolin Dry)
• 1oz English Dry Gin (Plymouth)
• Barspoon of (Russian) kümmel liqueur (homemade)

Stir altogether with ice and strain into a coupe.

About

This is the early 20th century “Allies” cocktail, first published in 1917. I’ve never been a big history buff, but I totally find history fascinating thru the lens of the cocktail and spirited libations lover, learning what and how people drank throughout history based on what all was happening in the world and what was available. In other words, I’m a total cocktail history nerd.

This drink was created during WWI and is named after the alliance between England, Russia, and France. It incorporates a spirit from each of the countries and is a fantastic riff off a classic martini. I first had this drink at Whitechapel, where the bartender first warned me about the presence of kümmel to make sure I knew what I getting getting myself into. Kümmel is a liqueur made from cumin, fennel, caraway, and honey and is extremely unique (and delicious!). I made a homemade version recently and absolutely adore it – it’s extremely simple (literally like 5min prep), so check it out!