Kina Cocktail

Gin, vermouth and quinquina – when combined correctly, these three ingredients make a wonderful drink: The Kina Cocktail.

40 ml Rutte Dry Gin
20 ml Cap Corse red
20 ml Moot vermouth

Preparation: Stirred.

There is not much to say about this cocktail. It is relatively unknown and first appeared in print in 1925 in the “Buckstone Book of Cocktails” by “Robert” Buckby & George Stone. In the years that followed, this cocktail was always called the Kina Cocktail, with one exception in 1953, when it was “incorrectly” called the Quinquina Cocktail. Since 1900, however, there has been another cocktail under this name, which also uses Quinquina and refines it with Curaçao and Angostura bitters. This variant is always called the Quinquina Cocktail in subsequent years, except for the 1953 release.

In 1959, a Lojendio is described, but it is nothing other than the Kina Cocktail. The same applies in principle to the Caruso from 1960, although here a dry vermouth and a red Saint Raphaël are used. The basic structure is the same: quinquina, vermouth and gin.

When preparing it, the question is which ingredients to use. The Kina Lillet, which is mentioned as an ingredient from the beginning, has lost its character over time and we don’t like it so much in this cocktail. But it’s not important to use Lillet, but a Quinquina. This does not fundamentally change the cocktail. We are doing nothing other than what A. T. Neirath already described in 1934: “Any other quinine wine can be used instead of “Kina-Lillet”” – “An Stelle von „Kina-Lillet“ kann auch jeder andere Chininwein verwendet werden.”

Historical recipes

1900 Frank Newman: American Bar. Seite 10. Quinquina Cocktail.

Verre n° 5.
Prendre un verre à mélange n° 1, quatre ou cinq petits
morceaux de glace:
3 traits d’angostura,
3 traits de curaçao.
Finir avec quinquina; remuer, passer, verser, servir.

1904 Frank Newman: American Bar. Seite 79. Quinquina Cocktail.

Verre n° 5
Prendre le verre à mélange n° 1, mettre quelques mor-
ceaux de glace:
3 traits d’angostura,
2 traits de curaçao.
Finir avec quinquina, remuer, passer dans le verre n° 5,
servir avec un zeste de citron.

1913 Hans Schönfeld & John Leybold: Lexikon der Getränke. Seite 173. Quinquina-Cocktail.

Mischglas mit 3—4 Stck. Eis, 3 Spritzer
Angostura, 3 Spritzer Curacao, 1 Cocktailglas Quin-
quina, rühren, in Cocktailglas seihen, Citronenspirale.

1925 „Robert“ Buckby & George Stone: The Buckstone Book of Cocktails. Seite 37. Kina Cocktail.

1/4 Lillet, 1/2 Gin, 1/4 Italian Vermouth.
Shake and strain.

1930 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 92. Kina Cocktail.

1/4 Kina Lillet. 1/2 Dry Gin.
1/4 Italian Vermouth.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.

1931 Dominique Migliorero: L’Art du Shaker. Seite 55. Quinquina Cocktail.

2 traits d’Angostura, 2 traits de Curaçao, 1 verre de Quin-
quina.
Bien glacer dans le verre à mélanges. Passer dans un verre
à cocktail avec un geste d’orange. Servir.

1933 Antonio Josa: Cocktelera Universal. Seite 40. Quinquina Cocktail.

Tres gotas de Angostura Bitters.
1/6 de Curagao rojo.
2/3 de Quinquina San Raphael.

1933 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 92. Kina Cocktail.

1/4 Kina Lillet. 1/2 Dry Gin.
1/4 Italian Vermouth.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.

1934 A. T. Neirath: Rund um die Bar. Seite 191 Kina-Cocktail.

„Kina-Lillet“ ist ein Chinin-
wein, der in Frankreich als
Apéritif sehr geschätzt ist.
An Stelle von „Kina-Lillet“
kann auch jeder andere Chi-
ninwein verwendet werden.
1/4 Kina Lillet
1/4 Ital. Vermouth
1/2 Dry Gin
M-Gl. [Mischglas] K. [Kirsche] Z. [Zitronenspirale]

1934 Anonymus: Angostura Recipes. Seite 6. Abbey Cocktail.

as mixed at LONGCHAMPS
1/2 Plymouth Gin
1/4 Kina Lillet
1/4 Italian Vermouth
1 Dash Angostura Bitters
Stir well in ice, strain. Twist lemon peel.

1934 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual [collectic1806]. Seite 46. Kina Cocktail.

1/4 Kina Lillet
1/2 Dry Gin
1/4 Italian Vermouth
Stir well in ice and strain. Add a Cherry.
Use glass number 1

1934 William T. Boothby – „Cocktail Bill“ Boothby’s World Drinks. Seite 98. Kina.

Gin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1/3 jigger It. Vermouth . . . . . . 1/3 jigger
. Kina Lillet . . . . . . . 1/3 jigger
Shake well with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass and serve.

1935 O. Blunier: The Barkeeper’s Golden Book. Seite 110. Kina.

1/4 Kina Lillet
1/4 Italian Vermouth
1/4 Gin

1936 Elvezio Grassi: 1000 Misture. Seite 64. Kina Cocktail.

Agitare nel shaker con ghiac-
cio:
25% Elisir China
25% Vermouth Torino
50% Iry Gin.
Servite con buccia limone.

1936 Raymond Porta Mingot: Gran manual de cocktail. Seite 265. Kina Cocktail.

Usese la cocktelera.
Unos pedacitos de hielo.
1/3 parte de Vermouth Torino Cinzano.
1/3 parte de Quina Lillet.
1/3 parte de Dry Gin Sumner’s.
Agítese, cuélese y sírvase en copa de 100

1940 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 46. Kina Cocktail.

1/4 Kina Lillet
1/2 Dry Gin
1/4 Italian Vermouth
Stir well in ice and strain. Add a Cherry.
Use glass number 1

1948 Trader Vic: Bartender’s Guide. Seite 145. Kina Cocktail.

1 oz. dry gin 1/4 oz. Kina Lillet
. 1/4 oz. Italian vermouth
Stir with cracked ice; strain into chilled cocktail glass.

1953 David A. Embury: The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks. Seite 245. Kina.

Equal parts of Kina Lillet and Italian vermouth with 4
parts gin.

1953 Marcel et Roger Louc: Cocktails et Grand Crus. Seite 68. Kina Cocktail.

Deux traits Angostura
Deux traits Curaçao
Un verre de Kina.

1956 Patrick Gavin Duffy: The Official Mixer’s Manual. Seite 50. Kina.

1/2 Dry Gin
1/4 Sweet Vermouth
1/4 Lillet
Stir well with ice and strain.
Serve with Cherry if desired.

1959 Fernando Gaviria: EI Coctel y Sus Derivado. Seite 45. Kina.

Prepárese en cocktelera:
Unos pedacilos de hielo.
Una parte de Kina Lillet.
Una pane de Verniout italiano.
Dos partes de buena Ginebra.
Bátase, sirviéndolo en copa de cocktail.

1959 Fernando Gaviria: EI Coctel y Sus Derivado. Seite 46. Lojendio.

Prepárese en cocktelera:
Unos pedacitos de hielo.
Una parte de Kina Lillet.
Una parle de Vermout italiano.
Dos partes de buena Ginebra.
Bien batido, sírvase en copa de cocktail,
con una guinda.
(A don Juan Pablo Lojendio, nuestro que-
rido embajador en La Habana.)

1960 Anonymus: Tout les cocktails et les boissons rafraichissante. Seite 30. Caruso.

1/3 Saint Raphaël rouge
1/3 Martini Dry
1/3 Gin

1976 Harry Craddock: The Savoy Cocktail Book. Seite 92. Kina Cocktail.

1/4 Kina Lillet. 1/2 Dry Gin.
1/4 Italian Vermouth.
Shake well and strain into
cocktail glass.

1977 Stan Jones: Jones’ Complete Barguide. Seite 322. Kina.

Cocktail Glass Stir
1-1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz Lillet
Cherry

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