Preakness

A Manhattan in dress clothes: bourbon and sweet vermouth deepened with a measure of Bénédictine, whose honeyed herbal backbone sets it apart from its parent. Cocktail historian David Wondrich traces the drink to 1936, when a Baltimore bartender named George won a contest at the Emerson Hotel to crown the official cocktail of the first Preakness Ball — named for the storied horse race run each May at Pimlico. Stirred, strained, and finished with a lemon twist, it drinks rich and quietly spiced.

ClassicSpirit-ForwardAfter Dinner

Ingredients

  • 1.5 ozBourbon
  • 0.75 ozSweet Vermouth
  • 0.5 ozBénédictine
  • 1 dashAngostura Bitters

Garnish: Lemon Peel

Preparation

Stirred · Coupe · None

  1. 1.

    add

    Combine bourbon, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, and Angostura bitters in a mixing glass with ice.

  2. 2.

    stir

    Stir until well chilled and properly diluted, about 20-30 seconds.

  3. 3.

    strain

    Fine strain into a chilled coupe.

  4. 4.

    garnish

    Express a lemon twist over the surface and drop it in.

Flavor Profile

spiced
42%
sweet
40%
body
40%
herbal
25%
viscosity
21%
bitter
19%
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