6 Cocktail Recipes with this ingredient.
The Old Fashioned is the original cocktail — a disciplined marriage of spirit, sugar, water, and bitters that dates to the early 19th century. When made right with a quality bourbon or rye, it's arguably the greatest drink ever conceived. The key is balance: enough sweetness to integrate, enough bitters to add complexity, and good ice to dilute slowly. Use Knob Creek, Elijah Craig, or Rittenhouse Rye for best results.
The Toronto is an underappreciated stirred cocktail that predates Prohibition. Rye whiskey and Fernet-Branca is a combination that sounds austere but is deeply, darkly complex — the menthol, herb, and bitterness of Fernet integrates with the spice of rye to create something uniquely satisfying. A quarter ounce of Fernet is the correct amount — enough to add character without dominating. This is a bartender's cocktail.
Jeffrey Morgenthaler rehabilitated the maligned Amaretto Sour in 2012 by adding a small amount of cask-strength bourbon and egg white. The bourbon provides dryness and backbone that balances the sweetness of amaretto; the egg white gives it a gorgeous texture and foam. This version uses Amaro Averna as a richer, more complex base. Use Wild Turkey 101 for the bourbon — the high proof holds up.
The Vieux Carré ('old square' — French for the French Quarter) was created by Walter Bergeron at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans in the 1930s. It's a masterclass in complexity: rye whiskey and cognac provide a double-spirit base, sweet vermouth adds body, Bénédictine (or Fernet in this version) adds herbal depth, and both Peychaud's and Angostura bitters tie everything together. It's like an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, and a Sazerac had a sophisticated, worldly child.
The Sazerac is New Orleans in a glass — one of the oldest known cocktails in America, dating to the 1800s. Rye whiskey, Peychaud's bitters, a rinse of absinthe, and a lemon peel that is expressed but never dropped into the drink. The Peychaud's gives it its distinctive rosy color and anise-cherry flavor. Use Sazerac Rye or Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond. The absinthe rinse is everything — don't skip it and don't substitute pastis.
The Whiskey Sour is one of the great sour cocktails, and adding an egg white transforms it into something exceptional — the foam provides a silky, luscious mouthfeel that softens the citrus edge and makes every sip feel complete. Use bourbon for a sweeter, fuller profile, or rye for a drier, spicier result. The dry shake technique (without ice first) is essential for building proper foam. Angostura bitters on the foam is traditional.