Drink Till it Makes News: Meet the Whiskey Journalist
The Journalist dates back to the early 20th century. Though details of its origin are unknown, the recipe first made an appearance in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book during the 1930s.
Craddock was one of the most famous bartenders of the ’20s and ’30s. He moved to the United States from the United Kingdom, where he worked at Cleveland’s Hollenden Hotel and New York’s Knickerbocker Hotel and Hoffman House. This enabled him to become a US citizen. However, during the ‘Prohibition’ period, he left the States and joined the American Bar in London, in 1920. Two of his most famous cocktails are the Corpse Reviver #2 and the White Lady.
Interestingly, The Whiskey Journalist has been a go-to drink for many journalists and writers. One isn’t sure if the cocktail’s name hatched that stereotype, or if it’s just a coincidence a number of writers happen to enjoy the drink. The present version of this somewhat rare cocktail is strong, yet it offers a lot of delightful flavor and constitutes a medium body. The original Journalist cocktail uses gin for its base, whereas this variation, as the name suggests, uses whiskey. Rye whiskey is usually preferred (but feel free to substitute it with American bourbon) along with balanced ratios of sweet and dry vermouth.
Ingredients
- 45 ml of rye whiskey
- 7 ml of sweet vermouth
- 7ml of dry vermouth
- 1 teaspoon of curacao
- 1 teaspoon of freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 dash of Angostura bitters
- Ice
