Roosevelt Cocktail

Name: Roosevelt Cocktail
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Rye whiskey (50% alc./vol.) — 60 ml (2 oz); Pedro Ximénez sherry — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Angostura aromatic bitters (opt.) — 1 dash; Walnut bitters (opt.) — 1 dash

A sweet and bitter whiskey cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 34.9% ABV ∙

The Roosevelt Cocktail is a stirred Manhattan-style drink of rye whiskey sweetened with Pedro Ximénez sherry, with optional aromatic and walnut bitters.

Ingredients

Servings

Garnish

Maraschino cherry

Instructions for 1 serving

Pre-chill a glass
Stir all ingredients with ice: Rye whiskey 60 mlPedro Ximénez sherry 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dash (opt.)Walnut bitters 1 dash (opt.)
Fine strain into the chilled glass
Garnish with a maraschino cherry

Tips

If you use the bitters, add one dash of each and taste; walnut bitters are strong, and more than a dash buries the sherry's sweetness.

History

The Roosevelt Cocktail is a rye-and-sherry riff on the Manhattan. Where the Manhattan pairs whiskey with sweet vermouth and aromatic bitters, the Roosevelt Cocktail swaps in Pedro Ximénez sherry for the vermouth, giving the drink a richer, raisined sweetness in place of the vermouth's herbal profile. The Manhattan's own origin is disputed among several claimants, but it is generally dated to New York City in the 1870s or 1880s.