Toronto Cocktail
We’re in a weird place right now with the seasons. It’s officially spring but it’s still chilly outside. Beautiful green leaves are sprouting on the trees but then a bitter cold wind blows off the ocean. It’s that weird time of year when I really don’t know what to drink.
I know that sounds odd. I mean, I’m always up for a cocktail no matter the time of year. But while I will drink almost everything, I like to change out my alcohol to match the seasons. During the fall and winter months, I tend to drink cocktails made with bourbon and rye while in the spring and summer, I switch out those darker liquors for lighter ones like gin and vodka. But when the weather can’t make up its mind about which way to swing the thermometer, that’s when I throw out the classic drinking map, throw up my hands and have whatever I’m in the mood for.
Sometimes it’s sangria, sometimes it’s a classic martini and sometimes it’s a drink like the Toronto. This is a delightfully strong cocktail that’s heavy on the rye and full of fall flavors thanks to the Ango and Fernet-Branca. While this could easily be mistaken for a Manhattan, what sets it apart is the Fernet. An Italian Amaro that’s been around since the mid 1800’s, this is a liqueur that’s often added to cocktails to give them depth. While I’m not a big fan of the amaros simply because I don’t like bitter flavors, there are some that are more palatable than others. Fernet is one of them. I appreciate it in cocktails but a lot of people enjoy the amaro on its own as a shot or on the rocks. I’m not there yet, but maybe that’s because I haven’t given it a chance. Yes, it definitely hits the bitter sides of the palate, but after that initial taste, other flavors start to come through thanks to those 27 herbs and spices used in its recipe. There’s an earthiness to it that’s warming and fitting for this time of year, which is another reason why I enjoy sipping on the Toronto.
While there’s no clear story on when or how the Toronto was created, it’s definitely a Prohibition cocktail that first appeared in Robert Vermeire’s 1922 Cocktails: How to Mix Them as the Fernet Cocktail. It later appeared in David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks as the Toronto. Why the name changed and how Toronto was picked is unknown, but that moniker has stuck ever since, adding it to a long list of cocktails named after places. And after sipping it, much like the Manhattan, it’s a drink I long to return to again.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces rye whiskey
- 1/4 ounce Fernet-Branca
- 1/4 ounce simple syrup
- 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an orange twist and serve.
