The Old Pal is an equal parts cocktail that combines the spiciness of rye whiskey with bitter notes of an aperitif and dry vermouth.
The Old Pal first appeared in the 1922 edition of Harry’s ABC of Mixing Cocktails, and was originally made with Canadian rye whiskey which was a popular spirit at the time. Today, the Old Pal cocktail is made with American rye whiskey.
The drink is similar to the Boulevardier, though the latter uses sweet vermouth instead of dry vermouth. It is also a drier variation on the Negroni with rye whiskey replacing the gin and dry vermouth instead of sweet vermouth.
The original Old Pal recipe below is an equal parts cocktail but if you prefer your drinks to be more rye whiskey forward, try it in a 2:1:1 ratio.
Old Pal Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 30 ml rye whiskey
- 30 ml Campari
- 30 ml dry vermouth
Glassware: coupette
Garnish: lemon peel
Method
Add ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir to chill, and strain into a chilled coupette. Express the lemon peel and use as garnish.
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