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The Negroni-inspired Old Pal is a whiskey-based cocktail, combining it with Campari (like the Negroni) and dry vermouth (unlike the Negroni). The result is a drink that can pack a punch, but its dry vermouth and lemon twist twist give this cocktail a lighter taste than the popular negroni as well as a warming feel. In fact, it’s the warming sensation you’ll get from an Old Pal that convinces many this drink was given the perfect name — a whiskey lover’s old friend.
Bar Tools
- Jigger
- Shaker
To Serve: serve this drink straight up in a coupe glass.
Ingredients
- 1 oz. rye whiskey
- 1 oz. Campari
- 1 oz. dry vermouth
- lemon twist
To Garnish: Garnish with a lemon twist
How to Make
Add ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake well and strain into a chilled glass.
Nutritional Facts and ABV
- ABV (alcohol by volume): 22.1%
- Calories: 195 calories
- Total carbohydrates: 8.3 grams
- Total added sugar: 11.4 grams
History
Harry McElhone, owner of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, is said to have invented the Old Pal in honor of a sports editor named William “Sparrow” Robinson. McElhone co-wrote 1927’s Barflies and Cocktails with David Wondrich. Sure enough, they write about the invention of the cocktail in their book:
“I remember way back in 1878, on the 30th of February, to be exact, when the Writer was discussing this subject with my old pal ‘Sparrow’ Robertson and he said to yours truly, ‘get away with the stuff, old pal, here’s the drink I invented when I fired the pistol the first time at the old Powderball foot races and you can’t go wrong if you put a bet down on 1/3 Canadian Club, 1/3 Eyetalian Vermouth, and 1/3 Campari,’ and then he told the Writer that he would dedicate this cocktail to me and call it My Old Pal.”
FAQ
On the rocks or straight up? How should I make this drink?
This cocktail is meant to be served straight up, but we’ve come across a few here and there that are poured over ice. What’s the difference? While the Old Pal is already shaken, which dilutes the alcohol content, some argue whiskey flavor can become muted with too high proof. Even a little bit of ice melted into that drink can bring that whiskey’s entire flavor palette out.
Why does this drink call for dry vermouth when the Negroni that inspired it calls for sweet vermouth?
While we can’t attest to Harry McElhone’s intention, we can at least break down the differences between sweet and dry vermouth. As the name implies, sweet vermouth tastes sweeter. Dry vermouth, however, allows the flavors of whiskey and Campari — two opposites, in many regards — to blend together. In a drink meant to be made of equal parts, this creates something balanced, rather than a cocktail overpowered by any one of its ingredients.
