william sohmer

3/4 Rye Whiskey (1 1/2 oz Sazerac)
1/4 Dry Vermouth (3/4 oz La Quintinye)
1 dash St. Croix Rum (1/2 oz Plantation Dark)
1 dash Picon Bitters (1/4 oz Amer Picon)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

After my work shift two Sundays ago, I turned to Pioneers of Mixing at Elite Bars: 1903-1933 for a nightcap. In the American whiskey chapter, I was became curious about the William Sohmer that was named after a New York State politician active at the turn of the century when the book was being compiled. Essentially, the recipe reminded me of a split spirits Brooklyn minus the Maraschino.
The William Sohmer proffered a dark orange and rum aroma to the nose. Next, a dry malt-driven sip led into rye and rum on the swallow with caramel-orange notes on the finish. Overall, the drink was very dry for my palate; perhaps a sweeter rum like Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva or El Dorado 12 would work well as would a sweeter vermouth like blanc (the recipe only called for a French vermouth which I always interpret as a dry one). Another option would be adding a quarter ounce of demerara syrup or doubling the Amer Picon to bring the recipe to a more palatable state.