VIIIThe classics
Stirred and spirit-forward
Spirit-forward, and mostly stirred, starting with the Old Fashioned.
6 min read
Everything here is clear and alcoholic, and everything here is stirred - except the Old Fashioned, which is built in the glass. Negroni, Contessa and Boulevardier are the same drink with one bottle swapped each time. Read them together and Part IV's families are easy to see.
Old Fashioned
Rocks · Yes, ideally one large cube · Muddle and build
- Bourbonor Rye60 ml
- Sugar cubeor 10 ml sugar syrup1
- Angostura bittersSoak the cube
- WaterA few dashes
GarnishOrange peel and a maraschino cherry
FamilyOld Fashioned · Spirit + sugar + bitters
The oldest structure in the book, and the drink the 1806 definition was describing. Sixty is what most bars I know pour; the IBA says 45 ml, which is the same drink and a smaller one.
Sazerac
Rocks · no ice · Stir and strain
- AbsintheRinse
- Cognacor Rye50 ml
- Sugar cubeor 10 ml sugar syrup1
- Peychaud's bitters2 dash
GarnishA strip of lemon peel, squeezed over the surface and thrown away
FamilyOld Fashioned · Spirit + sugar + bitters
An Old Fashioned with an absinthe rinse and a different bitters. The peel is the detail people skip: you want its oil on the surface and nothing floating in the drink, so it does its job in two seconds and then goes in the bin.
Martini
Martini · Up · Stir and strain
- Gin60 ml
- Dry vermouth10 ml
- Olive brineoptionalor For a Dirty MartiniA dash
GarnishOlive, or a lemon twist
FamilyMartini · Spirit + aromatised wine
IBA linkThe Unforgettablesas Dry Martini
The workbook calls this an English Martini. Everything depends on the vermouth being fresh - see the fortified wine chapter. The IBA pours 10 ml of vermouth, six to one; I pour 15, four to one - a touch wetter, and most people prefer it without knowing why. Dry means less vermouth, and this is already dry. Dirty means a bar spoon or two of olive brine, an olive in place of the twist, and a savoury drink instead of a clean one.
Manhattan
Martini, or rocks · Up, or over ice · Stir and strain
- Ryeor Bourbon, Scotch, for a Rob Roy50 ml
- Sweet red vermouth20 ml
- Angostura bitters1 dash
GarnishA cocktail cherry - lemon zest for a Rob Roy
FamilyMartini · Spirit + aromatised wine
Normally up, in a coupe or cocktail glass. Some Americans take it in a rocks glass with ice, so check.
Negroni
Rocks · Yes · Stir and strain
- Gin30 ml
- Campari30 ml
- Sweet red vermouth30 ml
GarnishOrange zest
FamilyMartini · Spirit + aromatised wine
The Italian way is to build it over ice in a short tumbler, stir gently, and let it soften as the ice melts through a meal. Almost every bar does it in the mixing glass.
Contessa
Rocks · Yes · Stir and strain
- Gin30 ml
- Aperol30 ml
- Dry white vermouth30 ml
GarnishOrange zest
FamilyMartini · Spirit + aromatised wine
A Negroni with the bitterness and the vermouth both lightened. The summer version.
Boulevardier
Rocks · Yes · Stir and strain
- Bourbon30 ml
- Campari30 ml
- Sweet red vermouth30 ml
GarnishOrange zest
FamilyMartini · Spirit + aromatised wine
A Negroni with whiskey instead of gin. Richer, and it takes the Campari better than people expect. The IBA pours 45 ml of bourbon, and plenty of bars do, because bourbon at 40 per cent gets lost against Campari in a way gin does not. Equal thirds follows the idea; 45 follows the bottle. Same ratio, different balance, which is the whole argument of Part IV.