Episode 137: The Adonis
Ep. 137 The Original Opening Night Cocktail: Adonis
Welcome to Season 8, episode 137of The Art of Drinking with Join Jules and Your Favorite Uncle
Some cocktails shout.
The Adonis barely speaks above a whisper.
And yet, in this episode of The Art of Drinking, Uncle Brad and Jules uncover how this understated, low-ABV sherry cocktail helped shape an entire category of drinking: the aperitif.
What looks like a simple mix of sherry and vermouth turns out to be a turning point in cocktail history, where the focus shifted from strength to structure, nuance, and context.
Listen to the Episode
This episode uses the Adonis as a lens into a bigger idea:
What is a cocktail supposed to do?
In this episode, we:
Trace the Adonis from Broadway fame to hotel bar staple
Break down how aromatized wines changed cocktail culture
Explore the full spectrum of sherry styles (and why it matters)
Show how tiny ingredient shifts can completely transform a drink
Reframe the idea of what makes a cocktail “good”
What Is an Adonis Cocktail?
At its core, the Adonis is a 50/50-style aperitif made with:
Sherry
Sweet vermouth
Orange bitters
That’s it.
No citrus. No sugar. No base spirit in the traditional sense.
And yet, it delivers a layered drinking experience that’s:
Nutty
Lightly sweet
Slightly oxidative
Occasionally saline
Always balanced
This is a cocktail designed not to dominate your palate—but to prepare it.
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The Story Behind the Adonis
The Adonis was created in the 1880s to celebrate the success of the Broadway musical Adonis, which became one of the longest-running shows of its time.
The drink quickly gained popularity in New York’s upscale hotel bars, where lighter, more refined cocktails were becoming fashionable—especially before dinner. Unlike spirit-heavy drinks, the Adonis leaned into fortified and aromatized wines, offering a more restrained and European-inspired style of drinking.
During the golden age of American bartending, cocktails like the Adonis helped define what we now think of as the aperitif category—drinks meant to stimulate the appetite rather than overwhelm the palate.
Sherry Changes Everything
One of the most interesting parts of this cocktail is how dramatically it changes depending on the type of sherry you use:
Fino sherry → light, dry, slightly saline
Amontillado sherry → nutty, balanced, gently oxidative
Oloroso sherry → richer, deeper, more full-bodied
Each variation subtly reshapes the drink, making the Adonis one of the best cocktails for exploring sherry styles and flavor profiles.
This weeks tip section will be dedicated to answering YOUR questions
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