Old Flame

Difford's Guide
Discerning Drinkers (135 ratings)

Serve in a

Martini glass
Ingredients:
30 ml Hayman's London Dry Gin
15 ml De Kuyper Triple Sec (40%)
15 ml Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
15 ml Strucchi Red Bitter Liqueur
30 ml Orange juice (freshly squeezed)
Loading...
× 1

Read about cocktail measures and measuring.

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill a Martini glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.
  3. SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  4. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.
  5. EXPRESS flamed orange zest twist over cocktail, then use as garnish.

Allergens:


Recipe contains the following allergens:

AKA:

Fancy Nancy

Strength & taste guide:


Review:

As Dale DeGroff, this cocktail's creator, says, it's a Negroni softened by fresh orange juice and a splash of triple sec.

History:

Adapted from a recipe created in 2001 by Dale DeGroff in New York, USA.

OLD FLAME *
I won first prize in the Fancy Cocktail category at the 2001 Martini & Rossi Grand Prix in Malaga with a version of this cocktail Jonathan Downey loves this drink with twice the gin and half the juice!
15 gin
15 Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
5 ml Campari
20 ml Cointreau
30 ml fresh orange juice
Flamed orange peel, for garnish

Shake all the ingredients well to chill and strain into a chilled 5½-6oz (165-180ml) martini glass. Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

Dale DeGroff, The Craft Of The Cocktail, 2003

OLD FLAME* (AKA FANCY NANCY
The Old Flame is a variation on the Negroni. I was doing cocktail dinners on my book tour for the first edition of The Craft of the Cocktail and paired the Negroni with the canapés. In Texas the bitter finish of the Negroni left the writer and photographer less than enthusiastic. I pulled their two drinks and retooled the recipe on the fly, adding a sweet note–Cointreau–and some orange juice. Nancy, the photographer, was very enthusiastic with the results. I renamed the drink the Fancy Nacy in her honour. I won first prize in the Fancy Cocktail category at the 2001 Martini & Rossi Grand Prix in Malaga with a version of this under another name, the Old Flame.
1 ounce Bombay dry gin
½ ounce Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth
½ ounce Campari
½ ounce Cointreau
1 ounce fresh orange juice
Flamed orange zest coin, for garnish

Shake all the ingredients (except the garnish) well with ice to chill and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with the flamed orange zest coin.

Dale DeGroff, The Craft Of The Cocktail, 2020 Revised Edition

Nutrition:

One serving of Old Flame contains 171 calories.

Alcohol content:

  • 1.3 standard drinks
  • 17.16% alc./vol. (34.32° proof)
  • 18 grams of pure alcohol
Difford's Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

Join the Discussion


... comment(s) for Old Flame

You must log in to your account to make a comment.

Report comment

You must be logged in to upvote or downvote a comment

Click here to login
Welcome to Difford's Guide

All editorial and photography on this website is copyright protected

© Odd Firm of Sin 2025