Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Add about one cup of ice cubes to your cocktail mixing glass. You want enough ice to chill the entire drink rapidly without gaps between the cubes.
- Pour exactly two ounces of bourbon into your jigger, then add it to the ice-filled mixing glass.
- Measure out one ounce of sweet red vermouth and pour it into the mixing glass with the bourbon.
- Shake your Angostura bitters bottle over the mixture twice, aiming for the surface of the liquid.
- Use your bar spoon to stir the mixture slowly for about thirty seconds, moving the spoon in a steady circular motion.
- Continue stirring for another fifteen to twenty seconds until the outside of the mixing glass feels cold to the touch and you see condensation forming.
- While the drink chills, set your coupe glass or rocks glass on the counter in front of you.
- Place your cocktail strainer over the mixing glass and slowly pour the drink into your prepared serving glass. The strainer catches any small ice chips, ensuring a clean, silky pour.
- Drop a single maraschino cherry into the drink or perch it on the rim.
Notes
Always stir, never shake, and invest in good quality bourbon and vermouth because these three ingredients make up the entire drink. Use large ice cubes that melt slowly, keeping your drink cold without diluting it. Stir your drink for a full forty-five seconds minimum to reach the proper temperature and dilution level. Measure your ingredients every single time rather than pouring by feel, as small variations compound into noticeably different drinks.