Roosevelt Cocktail
Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 31.1% ABV ∙
The Roosevelt Cocktail is a stirred rye whiskey drink rounded out with Pedro Ximénez sherry and a duo of bitters, served up in a coupe. Rye spice leads, softened by a raisin-like sherry sweetness, with a dry, bittered finish that lingers after each sip.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Rye whiskey 60 mlPedro Ximénez sherry 15 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dashWalnut bitters 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Pre-chill the coupe before straining — the drink is fine-strained with no ice, so a warm glass is the fastest way to lose the chill.
- Fine-strain to keep any ice shards out, since the drink is served up with nothing to dilute it further in the glass.
- Add both bitters as single dashes and taste — walnut bitters is potent and can overwhelm the sherry's sweetness if over-poured.
History
The Roosevelt Cocktail is a rye-and-sherry riff on the Manhattan, built around a combination of whiskey, Pedro Ximénez sherry, and bitters in place of the classic's sweet vermouth. Recipe listings trace its formula to bartender Eric Tecosky, whose original build called for Jack Daniel's Single Barrel rather than the rye-and-Tennessee-whiskey blend that later versions use, alongside the sherry and a mix of aromatic and walnut bitters.
The drink follows the Manhattan, whose own origin is disputed among several claimants but which is generally dated to New York City in the 1870s or 1880s. 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.
