Bourbon, shaken
Man o' War
Barline 2,Q,h,h,cl
The code is the shorthand off my printed menu; the Key tab decodes every letter.
- 2 oz Bourbon
- 3/4 oz Orange liqueur
- 1/2 oz Sweet vermouth
- 1/2 oz Lemon juice
Shake hard with ice, then strain.
Coupe, lemon twist.
Taste
Two ounces of bourbon, three-quarters orange liqueur, half an ounce each of sweet vermouth and lemon. The orange liqueur is heavier than the lemon, so peel leads. Shaken, coupe, lemon twist. A Manhattan sour: grape, whiskey, and candy citrus.
History
The drink is named for the thoroughbred who won 20 of 21 races in 1919 and 1920, including the Preakness and Belmont. Simon Difford finds no mid-century book recipe and treats the cocktail as modern; a 1915 newspaper Man-o'-war cocktail is condensed milk, alcohol, and eggs. The Indianapolis Star printed the bourbon, Cointreau, sweet vermouth, and lemon formula in 2015 as a Derby drink. This menu pours two ounces of bourbon, three-quarters orange liqueur, half each of sweet vermouth and lemon, coupe, lemon twist.
Same shape, other bottles
The Daisy family, with the bottle that changed.
- Derbylime juice for lemon juice
- Whiskey Daisywith simple syrup
- Margaritatequila and lime juice for bourbon and lemon juice
- Mezcal Margaritamezcal and lime juice for bourbon and lemon juice
- Ace of Clubsaged rum and lime juice for bourbon and lemon juice
- Between the Sheetscognac and light rum for bourbon
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.