Ada Coleman

From Chanticleer Society
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Ada Coleman (1875–1966) was a bartender who worked at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London in the early 20th century. She is best known for creating the drink known as the "Hanky Panky," which is made with gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca. Coleman was considered one of the most skilled and respected bartenders of her time, and her tenure at the American Bar was considered a golden age for the establishment. She worked as a head bartender from 1903 to 1926.

Ada was identified by Imbibe Magazine as one of “The Top 25 Most Influential Cocktail Personalities of the Past Century”[1]:

"As the head bartender for the American Bar at The Savoy Hotel in the early 20th century, Ada Coleman was one of the first well-known female bartenders. She mentored Harry Craddock and mixed cocktails for famous authors, royalty and actors—the latter of which, Sir Charles Hawtrey, inspired her to create the Hanky Panky, which was among the first cocktails to incorporate Fernet Branca."
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