Brooklyn recipe
An elegant, bitter-forward rye cocktail bridging Manhattan depth with dry vermouth and maraschino.
Method: Stir and strain ·
Glass: Chilled coupe glass ·
Time: 3 min ·
Difficulty: Intermediate ·
Family: The Old Fashioned Family
Ingredients
- 2 oz Rye whiskey (Bottled-in-bond preferred)
- 3/4 oz Dry vermouth (Chilled and fresh)
- 1/4 oz Maraschino liqueur (Luxardo or equivalent)
- 1/4 oz Amer Picon (Or a rich bittersweet orange amaro substitute)
How to make a Brooklyn
- Chill a coupe glass in the refrigerator or freezer.
- Combine the rye whiskey, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon in a mixing glass filled with cracked ice.
- Stir briskly for thirty seconds until thoroughly chilled and properly diluted.
- Strain the mixture into the prepared chilled coupe glass.
- Add the brandied cherry garnish and serve immediately.
Garnish
Garnish with a brandied cherry dropped into the glass.
Pro tip
Because authentic Amer Picon is difficult to source outside Europe, blend three parts CioCiaro amaro with one part orange curaçao for an exceptionally close flavor match. Always keep your dry vermouth refrigerated to prevent oxidation from dulling the drink's delicate herbal structure.
History of the Brooklyn
First appearing in print within Jack's Manual in 1908, the Brooklyn cocktail is widely attributed to bartender J.A. Grohusken, though exact origins remain lightly documented and subject to historical speculation. As an early twentieth-century borough-themed sibling to the Manhattan, it introduced dry vermouth and maraschino liqueur to replace sweet vermouth, alongside Amer Picon for a drier, more botanical profile. While long overshadowed by its more famous predecessor, the recipe experienced a major craft revival as bartenders hunted down lost ingredients and refined its complex, bittersweet proportions for modern drinkers.
Flavour profile
Dry, Bittersweet, Herbal, Complex
Variations
- Red Hook — Substitute maraschino liqueur with Punt e Mes sweet vermouth while keeping rye and dry vermouth.
- Greenpoint — Swap dry vermouth for yellow Chartreuse and add both Angostura and orange bitters.
Practise making the Brooklyn in the free Virtual Bar game.