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Bootlegger · 1906 · New York

Bronx.

Listed in 1934 as one of the ten most-asked-for cocktails in New York. It died because orange juice became a breakfast staple in the 1950s.

Spirit
London Dry gin
Glass
Coupe
ABV
~20%
Prep
3 min
Era
Bootlegger
Quick answer

The Bronx is a bootlegger cocktail from New York, 1906. Built on london dry gin, served in a coupe, around 20% ABV. Listed in 1934 as one of the ten most-asked-for cocktails in New York.

Ingredients

What goes in a Bronx?

Method

How do you make a Bronx?

  1. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
  2. Shake until cold.
  3. Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
  4. Express an orange twist.
Pair it with dinner Citrus-glazed duck or roast pork with fennel. The Bronx wakes up duck fat.
Bartender's notes

What should you know before making a Bronx?

History

Where did the Bronx come from?

Listed in 1934 as one of the ten most-asked-for cocktails in New York. It died because orange juice became a breakfast staple in the 1950s and the cocktail world abandoned anything that tasted like breakfast. Johnnie Solon at the Waldorf-Astoria invented it for a customer who asked for "a Duplex with orange juice instead of bitters"; he named it for the Bronx Zoo, which had just opened, on the theory that drunks see strange animals.

According to Johnnie Solon, Old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, c. 1906.

Variations

What cocktails are similar to a Bronx?

Income Tax
Same drink with two dashes of Angostura bitters added. The bitters version was created during 1913 income tax debates.
Satan's Whiskers
Add Grand Marnier. A 1930s variant from Craddock's Savoy Cocktail Book.
FAQ

Common questions.

What is in a Bronx cocktail?

Gin, equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, and fresh orange juice. Shaken with ice and strained into a coupe.

Why is the Bronx not popular anymore?

Orange juice became breakfast food in the 1950s. American drinkers stopped wanting cocktails that tasted of breakfast. The drink survived in cocktail manuals but died on bar menus.

Who invented the Bronx cocktail?

Johnnie Solon, head bartender of the Old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, around 1906. Named for the Bronx Zoo which opened in 1899.

What's the difference between a Bronx and a Satan's Whiskers?

Satan's Whiskers adds Grand Marnier. The Bronx has only orange juice. The Whiskers is sweeter and more orange-forward.

Kyle Schulgen Founder, Speakeater
Builder of Speakeater, the cooking app for people tired of asking what's for dinner. Hand-transcribes pre-Prohibition cocktail manuscripts as a hobby, ships them in the app's cellar.
Last updated: 2026-05-02

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