Waldorf Astoria, New York, ~1895.
| 1½ oz · 45 ml | BLENDED SCOTCH | 40 % |
| 1½ oz · 45 ml | SWEET VERMOUTH | 16 % |
| 1 barspoon | BENEDICTINE | 40 % |
1 oz taken as 30 ml in the metric column.
1 oz taken as 30 ml in the metric column.
| Pre-batch | 3.17 oz mixed with ice, 0.91 oz of it pure alcohol |
|---|---|
| Melt | Stirred: +15 % of the pre-batch, +0.48 oz of water |
| Served | 3.17 + 0.48 = 3.65 oz in the glass |
| Strength | 0.91 ÷ 3.65 = 24.9 % ABV as served |
| Ethanol | 0.91 oz × 29.57 ml × 0.789 g/ml = 21 g · about 148 kcal from the alcohol alone |
FROM SCOTCH · from oak barrel aging
Bourbon's fingerprint, extracted from the charred American oak the law requires for aging. Same molecule as the vanilla bean's signature, so a well-aged bourbon legitimately tastes like vanilla. Chemistry, not metaphor. Cognac, aged rum, tequila reposado all extract vanillin from oak too. Different barrels, same molecule.
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FROM VERMOUTH + BENEDICTINE
The bitter from gentian root, used across Campari, Aperol, sweet vermouth, Angostura, and most amari. Bitter compounds activate TAS2R taste receptors that evolved to detect plant alkaloids. The same machinery that makes broccoli taste bad to children also makes a Negroni taste like an adult ordered it.
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Scotch, sweet vermouth and a whisper of Benedictine. Scotch and vermouth are in equal parts, with Benedictine's honey-herbal 27-botanical blend adding a soft sweetness. Usually tied to the 18th-century Scottish poet.
Usually said to be named for Robert Burns, the Scottish national poet whose work, particularly Auld Lang Syne, was being widely commemorated at the turn of the century. The Waldorf's chronicler Albert Stevens Crockett suspected a cigar salesman of that name instead. Some versions substitute Drambuie for Benedictine; the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book's recipe (Harry Craddock's) uses Benedictine.
