Whiskey Cocktails: Irish Whiskey
Blackthorn
Ingredients
2 oz. Bushmills Irish Whiskey
1 oz. Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
3 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters #6
3 dashes Vieux Carré Absinthe
Garnish
Orange twist
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice. Stir 25-35 times. Strain into a coupe or stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.
Cocktail Story
First appearing in Harry Johnson’s 1900 publication of Bartender’s Manual, the Blackthorn bears an undeniable resemblance to the king cocktail of the turn of the century, the Manhattan. Following suit of other so-called improved cocktails, the Blackthorn calls for several dashes of absinthe, which acts as an herbaceous foil to a mellow, malty Irish Whisky. The cocktail fell victim to both the First World War and Prohibition, a time in which Irish Whisky was extremely hard to come by in the United States. Due to the whisky shortage, several recorded recipes replaced the base spirit with English sloe gin, giving a literal edge to the drink, since sloe gin is made from English blackthorn berries. Harry Craddock ensured the original recipe survived by including it in his 1930 publication of the Savoy Cocktail Book.