Rye, stirred
Improved Coctail
Barline 2,1b,1b,1b,2,Rl
The code is the shorthand off my printed menu; the Key tab decodes every letter.
- 2 oz Rye
- 1 barspoon Maraschino liqueur
- 1 barspoon Absinthe
- 1 barspoon Simple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
Stir with ice until cold, then strain.
Rocks, iced, lemon twist.
Taste
Two ounces of rye, then a barspoon each of maraschino, absinthe, and simple. The absinthe is in the drink, anise against cherry pit and sugar. Two dashes of Angostura. Rocks with ice, lemon. Rye first, then wormwood.
History
Jerry Thomas prints the Improved Whiskey Cocktail in the 1876 Bar-Tender's Guide as the Improved Brandy Cocktail with whiskey in place of brandy: Boker's or Angostura, gum, maraschino, a dash of absinthe, lemon oil, shaken. The improvement is European liqueur on the old cocktail of spirit, sugar, and bitters, the same dressing drinkers later asked to skip when they called for an old-fashioned whiskey cocktail. The name here spells it Coctail, as the paper menu does. This menu pours two ounces of rye, a barspoon each of maraschino, absinthe, and simple, two dashes of Angostura, over ice with a lemon twist.
Same shape, other bottles
The Old-Fashioned family, with the bottle that changed.
- SazeracPeychaud's for Angostura
- Old-Fashionedbourbon and demerara syrup for rye and simple syrup
- Rum Old Fashionedaged rum and demerara syrup for rye and simple syrup
- Scotch Old-Fashionedscotch for rye
- TorontoFernet and demerara syrup for maraschino liqueur and simple syrup
- Cornerstonecachaça and Fernet for rye and maraschino liqueur
This is one drink on my home bar's menu. Tick the bottles you own and the menu lists which of all 185 drinks they pour.