Cocktail of the Month: The Harvey Wallbanger
By • October 7, 2025 0 652
Perhaps it caught your eye when you were sitting in a tavern looking at the selections behind the bar. At 18 inches tall, this decanter rises above the bottles that surround it. Elevated and slender, it looks a little bit classical and, with its bright sunny hue, a little like the golden spire of a Burmese temple. Did this unique vessel pique your curiosity?
What is this mystery elixir? Liquore Galliano L’Autentico — more commonly referred to simply as Galliano — is a sweet, bright yellow Italian liqueur with a vanilla-anise flavor. Its popularity surged in the 1970s, when you could spy it in most drinking establishments; now it’s generally found in old-school joints and classic cocktail spots.
The liqueur was created in 1896 by Tuscan distiller Arturo Vaccari, who named it in honor of Giuseppe Galliano, a hero of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. As for its uncommon vessel, according to Galliano’s website: “The slim fluted shape of the bottle with many tapered flat sides was inspired by the columns of the ancient temples of Rome and the mighty glory of the empire.” The brilliant shade of its contents pays homage to the tens of thousands of Italian prospectors who flocked to California during the Gold Rush.
But what exactly is inside? Galliano is a liqueur forged from a plethora of natural ingredients: herbs, plants, roots, barks, spices and flower seeds. The most prominent flavor is vanilla, followed by anise, citrus, cinnamon, peppermint, musk yarrow and lavender. The overall sweetness distinguishes it from other herbal liqueurs like sambuca, raki and pastis.
It can be enjoyed on its own as an aperitif or as a cocktail mixer. Some notable tipples made with Galliano are the Yellow Bird (a Caribbean favorite) and the Golden Cadillac. However, it is most famous as the key ingredient of the Harvey Wallbanger.
One of the most popular drinks of the disco era, the Harvey Wallbanger is basically a screwdriver (vodka and orange juice) with a float of Galliano on top. As with many cocktails, there are various tales regarding its invention.
The drink’s true origin likely lies with a 1966 marketing collaboration between McKesson, Galliano’s importer, and bartender Donato “Duke” Antone, who created a tipple known as “Duke’s Screwdriver.”
Difford’s Guide attributes it to a house party held in the mid-1960s in Newport Beach, California. One of the guests, Harvey, was found banging his head the next morning, complaining of the hangover this drink induced.
The tale on Galliano’s website is much more colorful: “In the 1970’s, a Californian surfer named Tom Harvey won an important surfing competition and went into a bar to celebrate this with his favorite drink. He apparently imbibed too much and, staggering out of the bar, banged his surfboard from wall to wall. His friends nicknamed him ‘Harvey Wallbanger’. The nickname transferred itself to his favorite drink and a legend was born.”
The HW was promoted aggressively with a marketing campaign featuring a stressed-looking surfer cartoon character named Harvey Wallbanger, which helped make the drink a phenomenon.
This potent potable even inspired a baking craze of Harvey Wallbanger cakes, which were shaped like large doughnuts and included the signature cocktail components. But like disco and Bundt cakes, the popularity of both the cocktail and the dessert faded in the early ’80s.
Except in Milwaukee, where the 1982 Brewers were nicknamed “Harvey’s Wallbangers,” a tribute to manager Harvey Kuenn and to the team’s thrilling style of play. After capturing the American League pennant, the team faced St. Louis for the championship, nicknamed the “Suds Series” due to both cities being known for breweries. (St. Louis won.) With the Brewers back in the playoffs this fall, perhaps the HW is due for a revival.
Even if you’re not a baseball fan, there’s another good excuse to try this classic: Nov. 8 is National Harvey Wallbanger Day.
The Harvey Wallbanger
6 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 oz. vodka
½ oz. Galliano
Stir the first two ingredients together with ice. Pour a float of Galliano on top. Garnish with an orange wedge (optional).
