Classic cocktail · Guided recipe
Wembley
Start makingApple brandy in a supporting role: 8 ml of it against 45 of gin and 22 of dry vermouth, enough to put an orchard note behind a very dry drink without making it taste of fruit.
In the glassGin · Dry vermouth · Apple brandy
See exact amounts
What goes in
Ingredients
Set up before you pour
Use a coupe glass.
The stem keeps your hand away from a cold drink, while the rounded bowl makes an up serve easy to sip.
- Standard size
- 200 ml6¾ oz
- Ice & serve
- Chill it first; serve without ice.
- If you don’t own one
- Use a small martini glass or stemmed dessert glass.
- cocktail shaker
- strainer (or a small sieve)
- jigger or measuring spoon
- Gin45 ml
- Dry vermouth22 ml
- Apple brandy8 ml
From bottle to glass
Method
- 01
Measure into the shaker Pour 45 ml gin into your shaker
Gin
- 02
Measure into the shaker Add 22 ml dry vermouth
Dry vermouth
- 03
Measure into the shaker Add 8 ml apple brandy
Apple brandy
- 04
Ice the shaker Fill the shaker with ice
- 05
Seal and shake Seal and shake hard
- 06
Strain cleanly Strain into a chilled glass — no ice
- 07
Finish the drink Finish it — add a cocktail cherry
Know your drink
About the Wembley
Which apple brandy to buy
Calvados and applejack are not interchangeable, and the label repays a close look. Calvados comes from Normandy, is aged, and runs floral with a faint funk to it. American applejack from Laird's is typically apple brandy blended with neutral spirit, which tastes thin at this measure; their bottled-in-bond straight apple brandy at 50 percent is the one that still registers at 8 ml.
Common questions
Wembley FAQ
Apple schnapps is what the shop had. Any good?
Not for this. Schnapps and apple liqueurs are sweetened and taste of confectionery, where the recipe wants a dry distillate carrying its fruit in the aroma. A decent pear eau-de-vie gets far closer than anything sweet will, if apple brandy isn't in the house.
How far can the apple brandy go before it takes over?
At 15 ml it moves from a background note to a co-star, which some people prefer even though it stops being recognizably a Wembley. Past that the vermouth loses its footing entirely. Keep the gin at 45 ml whatever else you change.
All I can taste is vermouth. Which measure is off?
Usually none of them. It's the bottle, and vermouth goes stale faster than people expect. Failing that, check your pour: 22 ml is a tablespoon and a half, and free-poured vermouth tends to run generous. If it's still winey, take it to 15 ml and let the gin carry more.
What else do I do with the open bottle of apple brandy?
Jack Rose is the obvious one: apple brandy, lemon and grenadine. Corpse Reviver No. 1 and the Widow's Kiss both lean on it, and it makes an honest Old Fashioned with a little maple syrup in place of sugar. Being a spirit, it keeps, so a bottle is no commitment.
What ingredients are in a Wembley?
A classic Wembley calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Gin, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Dry vermouth, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Apple brandy. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.
How strong is a Wembley?
A standard Wembley is roughly 33% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.
Is a Wembley shaken or stirred?
A Wembley is shaken. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.
Sharpen the technique
Skills used in this recipe
Where to go next
If you like the Wembley, try these.
Bronx
A Perfect Martini with a splash of orange juice — gin, both vermouths and fresh orange. A forgotten member of the pre-Prohibition royalty.
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Income Tax
Two dashes of Angostura separate this from a Bronx, and they do more work than that suggests. Spice pulls the orange juice back from breakfast and gives the pair of vermouths something to hold onto.
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Satan's Whiskers
Five ingredients in equal measure, which sounds like a mess and isn't. Gin, both vermouths, orange juice and Grand Marnier land somewhere between a Bronx and marmalade. Orange bitters are what keep it from sliding into fruit punch.
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