The Incredible Hulk is a vivid green cocktail that is incredibly easy. It mixes up quickly with just two main ingredients and offers a fruity, semi-tart drink that’s definitely not your average brandy cocktail.
The famous story is that a bartender created the Incredible Hulk at Justin’s Restaurant in New York City. Sean Combs owned the now-closed establishment, and the cocktail emerged during a 2003 promotional party for Hpnotiq Liqueur.
The simple formula worked well because the Incredible Hulk remains a popular cocktail. With the brandy background, it’s not as sweet as the average Hpnotiq cocktail, and adding the optional orange bitters marries the liquors’ contrasting flavors. The color change is also captivating. Playing off the theory that yellow and blue make green, the transformation is instant. When stirred, the cocktail’s green color deepens, and it gets more vivid if you change the proportions. Adding extra Hpnotiq also makes a sweeter drink, which some people prefer.
This is a fun cocktail for parties, and its simplicity makes it easy to scale up to fill a pitcher or punchbowl, but be careful because it is potent. Its funky color is also perfect for Halloween, though it’s enjoyable any time of year.
“The Incredible Hulk cocktail is a promotional cocktail that turned into the first call demanded for about five years in the 2000s. To be candid this ‘cocktail’ is a large format shot. It can be satisfying, fun, and tasty. This recipe utilizes the right ratio, and shaking it really shows why the Incredible Hulk was a club favorite.” —Sean Johnson
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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2 ounces Hpnotiq Liqueur
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2 ounces cognac
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3 dashes orange bitters, optional
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Lime slice, for garnish
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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In an old-fashioned glass filled with ice cubes, pour the Hpnotiq then the cognac. If desired, add a few dashes of orange bitters.
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Stir well for at least 30 seconds.
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Garnish with a lime slice.
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Tip
- Shake the Incredible Hulk with ice and strain it over fresh ice to soften and better blend the flavors.
Recipe Variations
- For a sweeter and greener cocktail, switch to a 2-to-1 ratio: Mix three ounces of Hpnotiq with 1 1/2 ounces of cognac.
- To fill a pitcher or punch bowl, increase the two ingredients in the desired proportions. Add lots of ice, and keep chilled until time to serve. For instance, for six drinks at the 1-to-1 ratio, mix 1 1/2 cups of each of the two liquors, and be generous with the bitters.
- Lighten up the flavor and potency of the drink by serving it in a highball glass and topping it with club soda. It’s a good idea when making the punch versions as well.
- Create a frozen Incredible Hulk by tossing the ingredients into a blender with 1 cup of crushed ice and blend until smooth.
- You can even make Incredible Hulk jello shots: Combine 1/2 cup cold water with 1/4 cup each of cognac and Hpnotiq, and chill. Dissolve a three-ounce box of lime jello into one cup of boiling water. Stir together the hot and cold mixtures, pour into molds, and refrigerate until set.
What Are Bitters?
In the drink world, “bitters” are concentrated flavor enhancers typically used by the dash. Made by infusing various botanicals (herbs, fruits, spices, and roots) into alcohol, they give a subtle (and welcomed) flavor boost to cocktails. Aromatic and orange bitters are used most often, but bitters are available in a variety of flavors that are fun to experiment with and can often be interchanged.
What Kind of Cognac Should I Use?
There’s no need to use an expensive cognac in a sweeter drink like the Incredible Hulk. Keep the good stuff for sipping straight, and save some money by pouring a good mid-range cognac. You can also use regular brandy as a substitute.
How Strong Is an Incredible Hulk Cocktail?
The Incredible Hulk cocktail is as strong as its namesake. This short drink mixes up to around 21 percent ABV (42 proof), placing it right up there with the average martini. To put that into perspective, drinking two of these is equivalent to a straight shot of brandy.
