Name: Waldorf No. 1
Total time: 2 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Rye whiskey 50% abv; 30 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth; 5 ml Absinthe; 2 dash Orange bitters

Waldorf No. 1
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Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₂ oz	Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)
1 oz	Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
¹⁄₆ oz	La Fée Parisienne absinthe
2 dash	Orange Bitters by Angostura

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

Select and pre-chill a Coupe glass.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist.
STIR all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into chilled glass.
EXPRESS orange zest twist over the cocktail and use as garnish.

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

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

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

It may go against modern bartending etiquette, but this modern riff on the original equal parts Waldorf is best enjoyed shaken rather than stirred. The extra dilution and aeration benefits this Sazerac meets a Sweet Manhattan cocktail. Shake well, and the foam will last till it reaches the bottom of the glass.

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History:

The eponymous cocktail from the Waldorf Hotel, which, until its demise in 1929, occupied the site on New York's Fifth Avenue where the Empire State Building now stands. The hotel was succeeded by the present Waldorf-Astoria New York Hotel, which occupies a landmark Art-Deco building at 301 Park Avenue built in 1931.

Consisting of equal parts rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and absinthe with 2 dashes of orange bitters, shaken and served frappé (over crushed ice), this cocktail first appeared in Jacques Straub's 1913 Manual of Mixed Drinks. It was repeated later in Albert Stevens Crockett's 1931 Old Waldorf-Bar Days .

The original recipe is tough for modern palates, but it's made more approachable by the addition of 2 spoons of sugar syrup:
15ml (½oz) Rye
15ml (½oz) Sweet vermouth
15ml (½oz) Absinthe
10ml (⅓oz) Sugar syrup (2 sugar : 1 water)
2 dashes Orange bitters
SHAKE all ingredients with ice and strain into a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice.

WALDORF COCKTAIL
1/3 Jigger Rye Whiskey;
1/3 Jigger Italian Vermouth.
1/3 Jigger Absinthe.
2 Dashes Orange Bitters.
Shake.
Jacques Straub, Straub's Manual of Mixed Drinks, 1913

Nutrition:

One serving of Waldorf No. 1 contains 165 calories

Alcohol content:

1.7 standard drinks
30.19% alc./vol. (30.19° proof)
24.3 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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Alan F Pye

25th January at 00:30

Sorry, forgot to say the Talisker version uses the original recipe (1:1:1).

Alan F Pye

25th January at 00:20

This may be heretical, especially on Rabbie Burns' Night, but sub Talisker 10yo malt for the rye for a smoky treat. Stir over a big ice cube. No need for the sugar syrup, says me.

Marie-Therese Straus

6th March 2024 at 03:21

Unlike some other commenters here, I really loved the absinthe forward quality of this cocktail. Just delicious! Used Rittenhouse Rye and Carpano Antica but look forward to trying this with Cocchi as well. This is an excellent, well-balanced drink and a must for licorice lovers like me.

William Smith

17th December 2023 at 03:46

I used Rittenhouse rye and Carpano Antica. Yes, it was reminiscent of a Sazerac, but the vermouth cut the sharp edges and tamed the rye.

Next time I think I'll use less absinthe than called for. Even a sixth of an ounce is formidable.

Florian Ruf

4th November 2023 at 22:41

In my opinion the vermouth makes this cocktail. If there is no full bodied vermouth available, consider adding a hint of sugar syrup and reconsider the use of orange bitters according to your vermouth.

Deimos Ares

4th June 2023 at 10:17

the important thing is to use authentic absinthe (Jade is perfect!) and not those bad fluorescent mouthwashes that fill the shelves...

Doug Charnock

19th May 2023 at 01:54

On our favorites list, but I’m a little puzzled. The recipe says to stir the cocktail, but the review section says it’s best enjoyed shaken rather than stirred. Sigh…. Guess I’ll just have to do a bit of research to determine the correct technique. Tough work in the interest of science.

Simon Difford

19th May 2023 at 08:43

It's one of those classic cocktails that most would say should be stirred - hence that's what I've put as the method. However, I prefer shaken. Ultimately, down to personal taste.

Anthony Minakowski

26th August 2022 at 21:50

Absinthe taste is a little too much for me. I love the absinthe taste but prefer just a hint as in a sazerac. I would do 3 oz Rye, 2 oz vermouth (sweet) ¼ oz absinthe and 4 dashes orange bitters.