5 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 Aviation appeared in Hugo Ensslin's 1916 'Recipes for Mixed Drinks' and is one of the great pre-Prohibition gin cocktails. Two unusual liqueurs — maraschino and crème de violette — give it an extraordinary pale lavender-blue color and floral, cherry complexity. For years it was made without the violette (it was hard to find), but Rothman & Winter revived domestic production. The violette is non-negotiable — without it you have a gin sour, not an Aviation.
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 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.
The Last Word dates to the 1920s at the Detroit Athletic Club and was rescued from obscurity by Ted Saucier in his 1951 book 'Bottoms Up.' It's an equal-parts cocktail — gin, Green Chartreuse, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice — and possibly the most complex drink ever to emerge from such a simple formula. The Chartreuse brings an overwhelming burst of alpine herbs, balanced by the cherry sweetness of maraschino and the brightness of lime.