Brooklyn Cocktail
Tomorrow is World Whiskey day, so I thought I’d take a break from gin and vodka and bubbles and go back to what I love best: whiskey. Yes, I’m a huge whiskey girl. But not just any whiskey, I prefer bourbon or rye, which is a good thing because it just so happens that today’s classic cocktail uses rye.
I’ve only been been to New York twice, but both times I stayed in Brooklyn. It’s a great borough that has a ton going for it. There’s Park Slope which is a wonderful little neighborhood, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge and of course Peter Luger Steak House, which just happens to be one of the best steak houses in New York. Everyone talks about Manhattan, which is a wonderful city and I can’t wait to go back, but Brooklyn is definitely worth a visit as well. With all that going for the little borough, it’s no surprise there’s a cocktail named after it.
If you haven’t heard of the Brooklyn before, that’s not a big surprise. See, there’s another cocktail out there that’s also made with rye. I know you’ve heard of it, you may have even tried it. It’s called the Manhattan. While the Manhattan is the older and more popular rye cocktail, don’t count out the Brooklyn. Where the Manhattan is sweet, the Brooklyn is much drier because the Brooklyn switches out the Manhattan’s sweet vermouth for dry. It’s true the Brooklyn uses Maraschino, but it’s only a quarter ounce. So, that sweet liqueur doesn’t makes the tipple sweet. Instead, it balances the drink out, allowing the rye to really shine.
The Brooklyn predates Prohibition but isn’t quite as old as the Manhattan. Created some time in the early 1900’s, it first showed up in print in J.A. Grohusko’s Jack’s Manual. It was popular for a time and then with Prohibition the drink disappeared. Unlike other pre-Prohibition drinks, the Brooklyn didn’t reappear with the repeal. Instead, it faded into obscurity, partly because one ingredient was so hard to find: Amer Picon. However, with the new cocktail renaissance, bartenders and mixologists are rediscovering old liquors and classic drinks. Amer Picon was one such liquor. Rediscovering Amer Picon meant rediscovering the Brooklyn. While the liquor is still difficult to find (unless you’re scouring the internet) orange or Angostura bitters makes a fine substitute. I still can’t wait to try the original, though.
Brooklyn Cocktail
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces rye whiskey
- 1 ounce dry vermouth
- 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur
- 1/4 ounce Amer Picon or 3-4 dashes orange bitters
Directions:
- Pour all ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir until chilled.
- Strain into a chilled coupe glass and serve.
