Thursday, December 12, 2013

packard twins

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey (Ryan & Wood)
3/4 oz Sherry (Lustau East India Solera)
2 dash Maraschino (1/4 oz Luxardo)
2 dash Angostura Bitters
2 dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

A few Wednesdays ago, I opened up the Big Bartender's Book and spotted the Packard Twins that had been adapted from a cocktail found in the Angostura Recipes book from 1934. The text provides the history that it was created at the Hotel Barclay, and I assume that it was the one in Manhattan. The name most likely refers to the Packard Twin Six line of American luxury cars that were being produced between 1916 and 1923. The car was so stunning that it also spawned other drinks including the Twin Six from Hugo Ensslin's 1917 Recipes for Mixed Drinks.
The Packard Twins presented the sherry's grape, the Maraschino's nuttiness, and the bitters' spice to the nose. A grape, cherry, and malt sip led into the rye on the swallow followed by a spiced, nutty finish. In a way, the Packard Twins reminded me of a funkier and less bitter Red Hook or a more complex Buffalo Cocktail.

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