Name: McKinley's Delight
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 50 ml Rye whiskey 50% abv; 25 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth; 5 ml Cherry brandy; 1 dash Absinthe

Ingredients

1 ²⁄₃ fl oz

Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)

⁵⁄₆ fl oz

Strucchi Rosso Vermouth

¹⁄₆ fl oz

Cherry (brandy) liqueur

1 dash

La Fée Parisienne absinthe

How to make

Glass

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist.

Method

STIR all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of McKinley's Delight contains 167 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
29.82% alc./vol. (59.63° proof)
24 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Rosso/rouge/sweet vermouth (di Torino) — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

Adapted from a recipe created in 1896 at the bar in the old Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, this cocktail was named for President McKinley and features in Albert Stevens Crockett's 1931 Old Waldorf Bar Days.

McKINLEY'S DELIGHT*
One dash Absinthe
Tw0 dashes Cherry Brandy
Two-thirds Whiskey
One-third Italian Vermuth
Stir; strain

Albert Stevens Crockett, 1931

Comments & Discussion

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CJ Grant 19w

Reading some recent comments, I think I tend to agree - the absinthe is not bringing enough to counter the sweeter notes in this and it needs some form of spice and/or bitters in the mix.

I used my "bitters ketchup" of a dash of black walnut variety and it worked pretty well for me.

Scott McIsaac Premium Member 21w

My favorite Manhattan is 2:1 whiskey to vermouth, with a barspoon of syrup from the cherry jar. After trying this, it's similar, but I think I prefer the cherry syrup to Cherry Heering. The absinthe does add a little extra zing, but I think I prefer angostura bitters too. This one's worth a try, but it's not going to replace my favorite.

John CARR Premium Member 30w

As James I indicates, this really brings out the individual ingredients. The Cherry isn’t noticeable per se, more rounds the flavour and adds body. The sweet-astringent-aromatic interplay is great and incredibly moreish, reminiscent for me of a Bobby Burns (could muhduh a piece of shortbread right noo). I added an extra of absinthe for the effect. I had carpano in stock for the vermouth, but a vermouth amaro eg Cocchi dopo Teatro, could also be worth trying. A worthy addition to the Manhattan pantheon.

John CARR Premium Member 30w

Extra dash

Sport Murphy 26w

(thumbs-down was an error... it won't let me undo!}

Paloma Difford Continue thread (1 reply)

Matt Premium Member 1y

The flavor combination is good, and stands out as different from others - any fan of Manhattan variants should try this. But I like other similar cocktails better. It's good, but I don't think it is great.

james I 1y

Perhaps our new POTUS should try a few of these and calm down since he likes McKinley and his tariffs so much (sorry Simon I couldn’t resist). Great old school cocktail that is improved with quality ingredients. One and done for the day though.

Calvin Grant Premium Member 1y

Maybe if you could inject it in a big mac with plenty of ketchup.

John CARR Premium Member 30w

One for every penguin in Greenland, sorry Iceland.

G. M. Genovese Premium Member 3y

Bizarre cocktail with flavors I didn't expect. Used Sazerac Rye and Vermut Lustau; Cherry Heering and spritzed the glass with local Vieux Carre absinthe. Chocolate mint and/or chocolate cherry cordial in spades. Quite impressed, oh my... (6 Jul 2023, 8:13a)