Affinity

The classic Affinity combines Scotch whisky with sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, and orange bitters. It is normally stirred with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.

The widely recognized classic recipe uses Scotch whisky, not Cognac. Recipes using Cognac, dry vermouth, and Lillet Blanc describe a different variation rather than the standard Affinity.

It is spirit-forward, herbal, and bittersweet, with Scotch smoke or malt balanced by the two vermouths. Orange bitters add a small citrus note without making it a sweet drink.

It belongs to the same family of stirred whisky-and-vermouth cocktails as the Rob Roy and Manhattan. The use of both sweet and dry vermouth gives the Affinity a drier, more layered profile.