Cassis Caipirinha (Cassis Batida)

2 oz Cachaça
1 oz Cassis
1 oz Lime
Instructions

Squeezed limes, Shake, Rocks, Lowball

Notes

Need to taste to confirm

YieldsDrink
Authenticity
Unknown
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(7 ratings)
From other users
  • Starts off raisin-y, but a decent way to dispose of Cassis.
  • Hides the punch it packs under dominant tartness. A bit one-note but appealing. — ★★★★
Similar cocktails

Bitter Mac

1 1⁄2 oz Blended Scotch, Dewar's
3⁄4 oz Dry vermouth
3⁄8 oz Cynar
1 twst Lemon peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, straight up, cocktail glass, garnish

YieldsDrink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Hope & Olive, Greenfield, MA
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(13 ratings)
From other users
  • Made this shaken (whoops). Still good. Should try again.
  • Worth a try
Similar cocktails
  • Mahogany Hall — Irish whiskey, Jamaican rum, Sherry, Cynar, Nutmeg
  • Light in the Attic — Añejo rum, Cynar, Amontillado Sherry, Bitters, Orange peel
  • Spanish Choker — Bourbon, Amontillado Sherry, Cynar, Bitters, Lemon peel
  • Machine Gun Etiquette — Scotch, Apple brandy, Fino sherry, Cynar, Peychaud's Bitters, Apricot liqueur, Orange peel
  • Sissy's Bane — Cardamaro, Bourbon, Brandy, Lemon juice

1919

Instructions

Stir over ice, strain.

Notes

Slightly bitter, slightly sweet, somewhat like a Manhattan

YieldsDrink
Year
2008
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Ben, Drink, Boston, MA
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(36 ratings)
From other users
  • Prefer with 1/2 sweet vermouth and over a large rock — ★★★★
  • Over one large ice cube? Tone down Punte Mes to all equal parts? does well with lemon garnish. Cherry maybe? Barbencourt was used for rhum. — ★★★★
  • On the sweeter side, so I like a little more robust rum substitution.
  • Excellent drink although maybe a little too much like a Manhattan for my taste.
  • Try with 1/2 rum, 1 oz rye next time. Remember 1 dash mole bitters
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  • Scaffa García Febles — Trinidad rum, Demerara Rum, Bénédictine, Chocolate bitters, Coffee
  • The Fiery Dog — Whiskey, Sweet vermouth, Absinthe, Bénédictine, Peychaud's Bitters
  • Puerto Rican Racer — Puerto Rican Rum, Apple brandy, Herbal liqueur, Peychaud's Bitters, Grenadine
  • Funny Duck — Bourbon, Sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Averna, Bitters
  • Creole Cocktail — Whiskey, Sweet vermouth, Amer Picon, Bénédictine

Recipes specifically calling for Old Monk are so few and far between, I had to give this one a spin. The full ounce of Punt e Mes beats back most of the rye nuances and even most of the endearing harshness of the Old Monk. Certainly the Bénédictine comes through loud and clear. Successive sips do reveal more of the base spirits' character, but they definitely play a backseat to the Punt e Mes and Bénédictine.

I might need to revisit this one with good old Noily Prat to try to strike a rum/rye/vermouth balance that is more to my liking, but this is one that is worth further reflection and experimentation.



yarm commented on 1/07/2022:

I now work at Drink, and it is made with 1 dash mole bitters and no garnish now as it was back in 2008. As per my blog and per the Drink bar bible. Everything else is a variation.



Surprised that it doesn't have a cherry garnish. A bit too close to a Manhattan - will try increasing the rum/rye balance.


yarm commented on 3/09/2023:

When I was working at Drink, it was discussed how if there were to be a garnish, nutmeg would be the one. It has enough body that a sweet cherry would be superfluous. In my mind the 1919 is an expansion of the Fort Point Cocktails at that bar (double the Punt e Mes and Benedictine amounts and split the rye with Old Monk Rum) and starker form gets a cherry garnish.
https://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2008/10/fort-point-cocktail.html


bza commented on 3/10/2023:

I feel like I had this at No 9 Park and it pre-dated the Fort Point, but maybe I am misremembering... it was part of the Old Monk craze of that era.


yarm commented on 3/10/2023:

It was not on the menu at No. 9 Park right before or after Drink opened in October 2008. There's a chance that Ben Sandrof had been tinkering with it before Drink finally opened, but I have never seen a reference to that possibility (including my own time spent in that establishment), and it has always been spoken of as a Drink house original. Then again, this is history told in bars by folks that drink.


bza commented on 3/14/2023:

yeah, didn't mean to imply it was on the menu, just that I had it there


Reduce Punt e Mes to 0.75 oz, bump up rum to compensate. Worth trying over a large sphere.


Negroni

1 oz Gin
1 oz Campari
1 twst Orange peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir, strain, rocks, lowball. Garnish with orange twist or flamed orange peel.

Notes

Variants: Double Fisted Negroni - North Shore Mighty Gin, Carpano Antica, lemon twist. Gran Classico Negroni - Broker's Gin, Gran Classico, Punt e Mes. Negroni Special - Ransom Old Tom Gin, Carpano Antica, orange twist. Perfect Negroni - split vermouth into half dry and half sweet, add 3 dashes orange bitters and 3 dashes Angostura, garnish with orange twist or flamed orange peel.

History

Http://imbibe.com/article/numero-uno-negroni-files

Negroni
2009, Creative Commons, Geoff Peters, Vancouver, BC
YieldsDrink
Year
1919
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Count Camillo Negroni, Caffè Casoni, Florence, Italy. Disputed.
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4.5 stars
(121 ratings)
From other users
  • one of my new favorites.
  • Classic, original, balanced, what more do you need
  • Eu coloco menos gin
  • Make with Bruto Americano.
  • Prefer 1/5 gin, 3/4 campari and 3/4 sweet vermouth.
  • Too bitter for me, but it's a classic — ★★★★★
  • So many ways to modify this cocktail to keep it fresh.
  • Perfect (Carpano Antica & Dolin) and sub Gran Classico for Campari. Always up or with a single large cube. People drone on far too much about this drink but it is an excellent beverage.
  • 1 plymouth navy, 1 campari, 1 carpano antica over 4 large ice cubes, stir, squeeze orange segment, add 1-2 more ice, stir.
  • Tasty variant: “chinagroni” 2oz gin .5oz Campari .5oz Sweet Vermouth and 1oz of China China Liquor. — ★★★★★
Similar cocktails
  • Nuked Negroni — Gin, Sweet vermouth, Campari, Grapefruit, Grapefruit peel, Rosemary, Blackberry
  • Danagroni — Gin, Campari, Sweet vermouth, Bitters
  • Quill — Gin, Campari, Sweet vermouth, Absinthe, Orange peel
  • Veneto Negroni — Gin, Sweet vermouth, Amaro, Aperol, Grapefruit peel
  • Negroni (Aperol Variant) — Gin, Aperol, Sweet vermouth
Dan commented on 10/12/2010:

Your post on ChowHound inspired my last night to try 1 oz Gin, 1 oz Carpano Antica, 1/2 oz Sloe Gin, 1/2 oz Campari. I thought it was good, but theCarpano Antica, dominated. Next I'm going to 1 oz Gin and 2/3 oz each of the other 3. Thanks for the great idea!


The blogger at cocktailchronicles.com has passed along the idea of making a Negroni Swizzle by adding a pinch of salt and an ounce of club soda. (Original credit goes to Giuseppe Gonzalez at Painkiller in NY.) Can't wait to try it.


Glad to hear it! I've been trying to track down Carpano Antica in Wisconsin. Might try a Lillet version in the meantime.


famico commented on 11/13/2011:

If you would say you normally don't like campari and/or sweet vermouth (like me) then double the gin quantity. Makes it stronger too! Just don't change the proportion of vermouth to campari.


Dan commented on 11/13/2011:

I would say it's an impressive achievement to like a Negroni in any form if you don't like Campari and Sweet Vermouth! If it's the sweetness that you don't like, you can try a Perfect Negroni, splitting the vermouth 50:50 between sweet and dry.


If you can find Punt e Mes, the same people will have Carpano Antica, but a lot of the times, distributors just don't know they have it.


If I was on a deserted island with one drink available, this would be it. I also love a number of variations of this drink, but the original, with the classic 1:1:1 proportions, is my favorite (thought I like it best over crushed ice with a lime wedge)


Dan commented on 4/23/2012:

Kindred Cocktails has accumulated a huge number of nearly-identical Negroni variations. We plan to consolidate these, adding comments for various variations.


I'd really like people's thoughts here - we have 14 things called a Negroni in the database, and fully half of them are calls for the gin and Sweet vermouth. Some are not Negronis at all (those that sub Sherry, sub Aperol for Campari, have Cynar or other things in them). Are there any variants people are particularly attached to that should not be collapsed?

Thanks,

Zachary


I think that is going to be a tough call- many of these variations/derivatives are delicious, but they are completely different drinks, despite their names. Even substitutions that seem more minor, such as Gran Classico for Campari, create entirely different drinks- and that is even more true for the Cynar/Sherry/Rum etc. substitutions. I'm not a fan of clutter, but I think it makes the most sense to only collapse the more minor tweaks, such as the Perfect Negroni.


Corpse Reviver #2

3⁄4 oz Gin
3⁄4 oz Aromatized wine, Lillet Blanc
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1 rinse Absinthe
Instructions

Shake, strain, straight up, cocktail glass rinsed with absinthe

Notes

Jim Meehan, PDT recommends Plymouth gin and Pontarlier absinthe. Originally, this calls for 1/4 wineglasses (=1/2 oz) of each.

History

The Savoy calls for a dash of absinthe, rather than the more modern rinse.

YieldsDrink
Year
1930
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail
Source reference

Savoy Cocktail Book, pg. 52

Quickstart
Curator rating
5 stars
Average rating
4.5 stars
(110 ratings)
From other users
  • Tangy, light and refreshing. Lots going on. Top drink. With Cocchi and Plymouth.
  • could do with tsp of simple syrup but not necessary. — ★★★★
  • Some of these classics don't meet modern tastes but this one is top notch! Used Herbsaint which I imagine gave it more licorice but still a 5 star. I can tell that absinthe would push it even higher.
  • Sub the Lillet Blanc for Cocchi Americano; sub .25oz of the lemon for Plymouth sloe gin
  • Have used Cocchi Americano & Manuel Atxa; great w/both but Atxa adds bitter interest. Also like Bittermen's Orange Cream. Generally add less Cointreau (1oz gin / 1oz lemon / 0.75 Cointreau / 0 75-1 Vermouth), two sprays absinthe from atomizer. — ★★★★★
  • Made with Botanist gin and & PF Dry Curaçao. Heather liked it but thought it was a bit too tart
  • I will use Cocchi Americano
  • Prefer Cochin Americano
  • Delicious. A good alt version of this from Alicia Perry of San Diego’s Polite Provisions is 1oz Plymouth Gin, and .75oz each of Lillet, Cointreau and lemon juice, .25oz simple syrup. Worth a try. — ★★★★★
  • -it's too sweet right now, try 1/2 oz lemon juice or dash more gin -variation: try subbing Creole Shrubb + Bonal Gentiane Quina
Similar cocktails

Must use Cocchi Americano, not Lillet Blanc.



Kina L'avion D'or works as well instead of lillet blanc.


bza commented on 11/25/2014:

This is my in-laws' favorite cocktail. I made it for them once and they loved it so much that they bought all the ingredients and my father-in-law now has a card with the recipe printed on it so he can get it made at any bar they go to.

Lesson: make this for people who don't drink a lot of cocktails.


I enjoy this cocktail quite a bit. My version is an oz of each element and the dash. I will have to try it with the rinse. This is particularly great after a day working in the yard, because that is when this corpse needs reviving.


Old raj gin , Kina avion d'or, Pierre Ferrand Curaçao 



Norma Jean

2 oz Gin
1⁄2 oz Cynar
3⁄4 oz Lemon juice
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup
6 lf Mint
1 spg Mint (as garnish)
Instructions

Shake, double strain, crushed ice, low-ball garnish

Notes

Surprisingly, the overall impression is bitter grapefruit. Lovely.

YieldsDrink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Unknown
Creator
Vincenzo Marianella, Copa d’Oro, Santa Monica, CA
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(38 ratings)
From other users
  • Top drink. Crushed ice helps. Second sip is where it's at. I was thinking 3/4 cynar would help this, then saw it in the comments. Do it next time. There is a little bit of a grapefruit taste, but better—more complex.
  • One of my favorite summer drinks.
  • 1/4/20: Great drink, made with 2 tsp 2:1 simple. Will definitely make this in the summer.
  • Earlier comments nail it: bitter grapefruit, interesting yet accessible. — ★★★★★
  • A daiquiri substitute, and extraordinarily so. Refreshingly tart, but not puckeringly so. Very versatile: I can see having two of these at the Club in the evening, or by the backyard pool in mid-afternoon on a Saturday. Has
  • Light and surprising accessible. Good drink for those new to gin and/or amari. — ★★★★★
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Dan commented on 1/30/2012:

I have to say that this is a wonderful cocktail. It is plenty interesting, even for the jaded Fernet-chugging cocktail geek. Yet it's fairly accessible for those just getting starting to explore amaro-based cocktails. I bumped up the Cynar to 3/4oz and backed the simple down to 3/8oz, which was a nice balance for my taste. Where the bitter grapefruit flavor comes from, I do not know.


I used 3/4 oz cynar as that finished the bottle, and I was also generous with the mint. A little less simple and citrus next time, and I'll keep the extra cynar. I'm revisiting recipes I saved years ago and deleting anything I don't love from my cocktail library; this one stays.


Right Hand

Instructions

Stir, straight, straight up, cocktail glass.

Notes

Variation substituting Bourbon for Rum is called a Left Hand.

YieldsDrink
Year
2007
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Michael McIlroy, Milk and Honey, New York, NY
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
4 stars
(20 ratings)
From other users
  • Starts off meh, nice finish.
  • Made with Barbancourt 8 & Dolin. Tastes like dark Mexican chocolate. Despite the similarities in ingredients to a Negroni or Boulevardier the Mole bitters make this a very different tasting drink.
  • I used Fee Whiskey Barrel Aged. Very similar to a Negroni, but with different ratio. Worth trying again with Mole bitters. — ★★★
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  • Rye Summer — Rye, Aperol, Elderflower liqueur, Rhubarb bitters
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  • Frank Hinton — Rye, Sweet vermouth, Campari, Bitters, Peychaud's Bitters, Raspberry syrup, Passion fruit syrup, Blood orange peel
  • Draft Day — Rye, Jamaican rum, Gran Classico, Crème de Banane, Absinthe, Orange peel
  • Contention City — Bourbon, Jamaican rum, Amaro Montenegro, Crème de Banane, Bitters, Orange bitters, Lemon peel

I just made this with applejack instead of rum, and the previously attempted Fee's WBA bitters - quite nice, but I would drink dishwater after two dashes of WBA bitters. Maybe Aperol would have been better to let the apple come forth... there's always tomorrow night!


I made this with Flor de Caña 4 year Añejo Oreo, Carpano Antica, Campari, and Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate bitters. The Campari dominates a little too much up front, but the other flavors come through at the end. I might sub in Amer Picon for the Campari.


yarm commented on 9/24/2021:

The drink doesn't hold up as well with a thin Spanish style rum like Flor de Caña 4 Year. A pot still Barbados like R.L. Seale 10 Year or a dark rum like El Dorado 12 Year can balance the Campari better (but in different ways).


Sazerac

3 oz Rye
1⁄2 oz Simple syrup (or up to 3/4 oz to taste)
5 ds Peychaud's Bitters (to taste)
1 rinse Absinthe
1 twst Lemon zest (as garnish)
Instructions

Pack lowball glass with cracked ice. In a second lowball or mixing glass, stir ingredient with ice, empty serving glass and rinse with Absinthe, strain and serve without ice. May also be served in a flute or cocktail glass

Notes

This stout recipe can withstand liberal substitution of other spirits, including brandy, other whiskeys, and flavorful rums. Some use a sugar cube muddled with bitters (in the style of an Old Fashioned). A typical 1.5 oz pour will result in a rather small cocktail.

History

Chris McMillan uses 2 oz rye, 2 bsp simple, 2 dashes, and 2 bsp Herbsaint.

Picture of Sazerac
2009, Creative Commons, Infrogmation, Wikipedia
YieldsDrink
Year
1850
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Leon Lamothe, Sazerac Coffee House, New Orleans, LA
Source reference

Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails, Ted Haigh

Curator rating
5 stars
Average rating
4.5 stars
(70 ratings)
From other users
  • Delicious. Intense. Left the excess absinthe in and split the 3oz between rye and cognac. I've seen a split w/bitters, but I like all peychaud's.
  • I put a healthy amount of lemon zest in the before mixing....I strain it out and add the lemon peel. Delicious!
  • The first one of these I had was made by Andy at The Sazerac Bar in the Grand Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans.
  • Leave a small bit of Absinthe after rinse, rather then discarding, for more back flavor - I find the rye holds up fine.
  • A New Orleans classic...ah the memories!
  • make amendments according to Death and Co. Less Rye and add 1/2 oz. cognac.
  • Used High West double rye and Stirrings simple. Very smooth.
  • 2oz rye, 5 dashes Pechauds
  • 2 oz rye, 1/4 oz simple, 3 dashes
  • Dale Degroff's version: 2 oz Rye Whiskey 3-4 dashes Peychaud's 1-2 sugar cubes swirl of Absinthe
Similar cocktails

I made Sazeracs tonight, and it's just a delicious drink. I tend to like a mix of Ryes (Rittenhouse 100 and High West Rendezvous) to give me 1 1/2 oz, then an ounce of Cognac. I tend to rinse with Herbsaint, and I'm not careful about getting it all out. I also use probably closer to 1/4 oz. simple, as a sugar cube muddled with a splash of water. I also leave the fairly long lemon zest in the drink... I want the lemon punch to counteract the sweetness of the simple.


... in my house. And we make it with Rye and Lucid Absinthe, which I also don't bother to drain out, just ad a small splash to the glass, twirl and leave a little puddle in the bottom. I dont have Peychauds though, so use Angostura and recently Underberg (which seems a bit sweeter). Any comments on how Peychauds makes it different?


Angostura is all baking spices - heavy clove and cinnamon and allspice. Peychaud's isn't as bitter, and it gives the Sazerac a pretty reddish pink color. It also emphasizes the anise of the absinthe, with a 'tutti-frutti' overtone. My understanding is that some people use a dash of Angostura and 2-3 dashes Peychaud's, but both should be staples in any home bar.


Bevx commented on 8/18/2012:

I have committed sacrilege. Out of a combination of laziness and curiosity, I used 2 spoons of raspberry syrup in place of the simple... I know, I know: the cocktail gods are frowning on me. But they can keep on frowning, because it turned out delicious! The raspberry plays with the Herbsaint, Peychaud's and lemon beautifully!...

I've made it twice now, first with Rittenhouse, and 1 dash Ango & 2 or 3 Peychaud's. But the second time, I used Wiser's Legacy (a new-ish high-rye Canadian), and in place of the Ango, I subbed Bitters, Old Men's limited edition Raspberry Chamomile Bitters. Neither version were overly sweet; the main differences (naturally) being spicier on the first vs. more floral on the second... While this won't be my go-to Saz, it's definitely a fun change of pace!


jkim07 commented on 4/18/2015:

Reverting to small-batch cognac instead of rye, per old recipe(s), transforms this Classic Cocktail by tipping the familiar balance & allowing more herbal notes to emerge. A revelation.


Rather splendid tonight with Garvey's Esplendido Spanish brandy. Dial back the simple a little.


I tried substituting bourbon barrel aged maple syrup in place of simple syrup to change things up a bit.  I think it came out pretty darn good.  Not much sweeter and a very mild flavor addition.


This is the gold Standard for Sazeracs. How can anyone call some of those other concoctions posted a Sazerac? there oughta be a law! On the same scale of atrocities as chocolate milk and creme de menthe in a conical glass being called a Martini.

 


Works (perhaps surprisingly) well with a full-flavoured gin. And you really get the Peychaud's pink coming through.


Reading the bottle of Herbsaint I have, the Sazerac website, and a few other "authentic" recipe sites I have noticed that there is no stirring of the ice and the whisky/bitters mixture; it just gets poured into the cold glass. So the drink is barely cold, and very strong. This recipe and a few others say to stir whisky/bitters with ice. Which one is correct?


Seelbach

3⁄4 oz Bourbon
4 oz Champagne
1 twst Orange peel (as garnish)
Instructions

Stir first 4 ingredients with ice, strain into flute, top with chilled Champagne, stir gently, garnish.

Notes

Some recipes call for 1 oz Bourbon

History

See the NYT article in the comments.

YieldsDrink
Year
1995
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Adam Seger, Seelbach Hotel, Louisville, KY
Source reference

The Joy of Mixology, Gary Regan

Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(28 ratings)
From other users
  • Can also be made with 1 oz bourbon and 5 oz sparkling wine.
  • Very good, dry and festive. The bitters add a lot of complexity. Tanya said that it is a Christmas drink.
  • Nice on the eyes and nose, though taste-wise the prosecco I used really dominated. — ★★★
  • Beautiful color in the glass. Wonderful addition to the rotation. Slots in between the champaign cocktail and a french 75. http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-07-28/wine/17381818_1_bitters-angostura-drink
  • For a lighter drink, reduce bourbon to 1/2 oz, triple sec to 1/4 oz, reduce bitters by half and/or replace angostura with orange bitters.
  • Best with Booker's or other very high proof bourbon. Increase bourbon to 1 oz. We enjoyed these for brunch at Russel House Tavern, Cambridge, MA — ★★★★★
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  • Richard Sealebach — Champagne, Rum, Curaçao, Bitters, Peychaud's Bitters, Lemon peel
  • Eclipse Spritz — Brut Champagne, Amaro Nonino, Calvados
  • Rue the Day — Sparkling rosé wine, Cognac, Amaro Nonino, Lemon peel
  • American Royal Zephyr — Champagne, Overproof bourbon, Aromatized wine, Bitters, Peychaud's Bitters, Orange bitters, Maraschino cherry
Dan commented on 3/05/2012:

This is an excellent selection for brunch or a lighter cocktail in the afternoon -- much better than a Mimosa. Despite the heavy dose of bitters, it is not particularly bitter. The acidity of the wine balances the triple sec nicely; the result is still tart.



Due to the NYT article, I updated the source attribution.  Thanks, Zachary


Root of All Evil

Instructions

Stir, strain, straight up, cocktail glass, garnish

YieldsDrink
Year
2009
Authenticity
Authentic recipe
Creator
Jeff Grdinich, White Mountain Cider Company, Bartlett, NH
Curator rating
Not yet rated
Average rating
3.5 stars
(46 ratings)
From other users
  • Pretty strong; the Luxardo doesn't play that nice — ★★★
  • Consider reducing Maraschino or Grand Marnier by 0.25
  • Fernet Branca
  • Nice Manhattan variant. Cut back on Grand Marnier to 1/2 oz.
  • Widow Jane Bourbon — ★★★★★
  • I made it with Cointreau and used just slightly less of each of the liqueurs - truly delicious!
  • Very good. A bit sweet, so I added the 1/4 oz of Lemon. Also might be better with rye. — ★★★★★
Similar cocktails
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  • The Baby's Finally Asleep — Bourbon, Amaro Nardini, Sweet vermouth, Jamaican rum, Curaçao, Lemon
  • The Nocturnal — Bourbon, Fernet Branca, Maraschino Liqueur, Triple sec, Bitters, Orange peel
  • Babette's Supper Club — Bourbon, Grapefruit liqueur, Amaro, Bitters, Lemon peel
  • Meatpacker — Bourbon, Limoncello, Sweet vermouth, Bitters

I love this drink! This is the drink that made me fall in love with Fernet. The first time I made it, I halved the fernet because it was just too strong of a flavor for me. In fact it was polarizing. I hated it, but wanted to love it. Now, Fernet is one of my favorite amaros to mix. Fernet will grow on you if you give it a chance. Really great drink!


I love Fernet and have had a fair amount of experience with it, and I still feel halving it for this drink is probably a good idea. Really good as it is, though.


This really is great, but I thought the non-bourbon ingredients were all a bit too much. I prefer 1/2 oz Cointreau, 3/8 oz Fernet, 1/4 oz Maraschino. You still hit all the notes, but it's a little less sweet and the Fernet stays behaved. Also prefer a higher proof bourbon here, such as Knob, but in truth that's almost always what I prefer in Manhattan variants like this.


I second that, higher proof bourbon improves this. I do 1/2 oz dry Orange Curaçao, 1/2 oz Fernet, 1/4 oz Maraschino. A generous piece of orange peel is also really good, I usually cut a long spiral out with a channel knife over the drink.


An interesting, complex drink with a lot going on taste-wise. I carefully reviewed the comments made about the drink before I made it. Based on my experiences with each of the ingredients, I understood why the comments were made and agreed with them. I wondered only about Fernet Branca; in some drinks it can overpower the other ingredients and a smaller amount needs to be used, but with other cocktails the Fernet Branca seems right at home, and no change in its amount needs to be made. In this case I started off with Elijah Craig bourbon (97 proof) My other choices were Jim Beam Black label (87 proof) and Woodford Reserve (90 proof) I would not want to go over 95 proof, as I think something like Booker's at 127 proof would simply overwhelm the other ingredients--and maybe the drinker! Then, as was suggested by several, I used 1/2 oz Grand Marnier, 1/4 oz Fernet Branca, 1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur, 2 ds Regans' orangs bitters, and a good-sized orangs swath to exprss the oils.

My results:  The final cocktail, with its adjustments, was very tasty and balanced. There were two changes that I made--which were for the better. First, I added just a few additional drops of Maraschino Liqueur, so that the total amount (from the first and second amounts) equaled a "fat" 1/4 oz. The need for the second change surprised me: I had to add a few more drops of Fernet Branca, which smoothed out both the Grand Marnier and the Maraschino Liqueur, and provided a better balance of overall tastes among the ingredients.In short, between what I originally added of Fernet Branca and what I added later, was the equivalent of a "fat" 1/4 oz.

My only other caveat is that Grand Marnier and Cointreau are not the same, and the equivalent amount may result in a different taste. This is because Grand Marnier has a Cognac base, whereas Cointreau does not.

In summary:  Based on the comments made by others and my experience with the recipe for the "Root of All Evil," I suggest the following for its recipe:

2 oz of a high-proof (about 90 proof) Bourbon, 1/2 oz Grand Marnier (if using Cointreau, adjust to taste), a "fat" 1/4 oz Fernet Branca (adjust to taste), a "fat" 1/4 oz Maraschino liqueuer (adjust to taste), 2 ds Regans' orange bitters, and a wide orange swatch (express the oil and drop in cocktail) I rate this cocktail between 4.0 and 4.5.


Like many others, I’ve reduced the amaro and maraschino. I’ve made this now probably two dozen times and it’s my favorite cocktail. 

 

my recipe, which benefits from some local Northeastern distilleries:

2 oz high-proof Bourbon (try Putnam, a Boston local!)

1/2 oz Grand Marnier

a "fat" 1/4 oz Amaro (such as Fernet Branca or 👉Marseille, a Brooklyn distillery)

a "fat" 1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur

2 dashes orange bitters

 

Pour into shaker with ice, stir, strain into a highball with an ice block, garnish with a twisted orange peel

 

 

 


As-is first try, then replaced orange bitters with absinthe, completely transformed the profile. I prefer it with the absinthe, but your mileage may vary