Toronto
A herbal and bitter whiskey cocktail ∙ Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 27.1% ABV ∙
The Toronto is a stirred Canadian whisky cocktail with Fernet Branca, maple syrup, and Angostura bitters, served up in a coupe.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Stir all ingredients with ice: Canadian blended whisky 45 mlFernet Branca liqueur 10 mlMaple syrup 10 mlAngostura aromatic bitters 1 dash
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Express an orange twist over the cocktail and discard
- Garnish with a maraschino cherry
Tips
- At 10 ml, Fernet Branca seasons the whisky; pour any heavier and its bitter, minty edge takes over the drink.
History
The Toronto first appears in print as the Fernet Cocktail in Robert Vermeire's 1922 book Cocktails: How to Mix Them. Vermeire called for cognac or rye whiskey with Fernet Branca, sugar, and Angostura bitters, and noted that the drink was much appreciated by the Canadians of Toronto. It is unclear whether Vermeire, who tended bar in London, encountered the drink through Torontonians abroad or whether it actually originated in Toronto itself. Since Ontario's 1921 prohibition referendum had cut off legal imports of spirits, how local drinkers would have obtained the Italian-made Fernet at the time is also unresolved.
A similar bourbon-and-Fernet drink, the King Cole cocktail, had already been published by Hugo Ensslin in 1916. By 1930, William Boothby's World Drinks and How to Mix Them listed a version of the Fernet Cocktail under the Toronto name. The recipe did not settle into wide use under the Toronto name until David Embury's 1948 book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, which swapped in Canadian whisky in place of cognac and fixed the name that stuck. Later versions have also used rye whiskey as the base spirit.
FAQ
What is in a Toronto cocktail?
45 ml Canadian blended whisky, 10 ml Fernet Branca, 10 ml maple syrup, and a dash of Angostura bitters.
What is a Toronto cocktail?
A stirred Canadian whisky cocktail from the Old Fashioned family, served up in a coupe. Fernet Branca gives it a bitter, minty edge, and maple syrup sweetens it.
What does a Toronto cocktail taste like?
Warm Canadian whisky first, then a bitter, herbal, minty edge from the Fernet Branca, softened by a little maple. At about 27.1% ABV it is strong and dry, closer to an Old Fashioned than to a sweet whisky drink, and the Fernet keeps the finish sharp.
How do you make a Toronto cocktail?
Stir the whisky, Fernet Branca, maple syrup, and bitters with ice, then fine-strain into a pre-chilled coupe glass. Express an orange twist over the top and discard it, then garnish with a maraschino cherry.
