Perhaps my favourite of the many renditions of the Brooklyn cocktail due to being dry yet made approachable by faint sweet maraschino and bittersweet herbal...
Hm.
Good? Well, yes, but perhaps the hype skewed my expectations. Much drier than I had hope. But then I didn't pay any attention to the strength & taste guide.
Anyway, my Brooklyn's are and I'm afraid there will be, made with red vermouth. Since I was young, my favourite. my beloved one, it has been the Manhattan. But I love the Brooklyn too, as his close cousin. The genuine one, not the aberration, excuse me again, the misinterpretation with dry vermouth...
At that time, french vermouth was equal to white-dry, italian was equal to red-sweet. Maybe Vallor was white, I don't know, but it's certain it was SWEET. It was an IBA 50 official cocktail, and the reported ingredient was sweet vermouth. So, when you drink a Brooklyn made with dry vermouth, you are drinking an Old Pal without Campari, but not a Brooklyn. I would suggest, appeling to diplomacy , preparing a Brooklyn with French white sweet vermouth, the excellent Dollin Blanc for instance
Excuse me, I know there is an article for Brooklyn (Grohusko's original), but i do need to say it, and say it loud James Brown's style: The Brooklyn made with Dry Vermouth is an ABERRATION, excuse me, it's a MISTAKE, excuse me again, it's a MISINTERPRETATION. Tje original Grohusko's recipe ( thanks to gods his name remains) calls for VALLOR vermouth. French, yes, but RED SWEET too. I will go on in my next comment, too many characters...
I think we're in agreement. Jacob A. Grohusko’s 1908 “Jack’s Manual” calls for “50% Ballor Vermouth” (spelt with a ‘B’ not a ‘V’). Please follow the "Grohusko's recipe" link above for a Brooklyn made with sweet vermouth.
I think this one may have to grow on me. I've tried a few times and like it a little more each time. I am not a huge fan of dry vermouth and whiskey so maybe that's the problem. Used China-China as a sub for Amer Picon.
Very good and very interesting cocktail. You can definitely taste the rye and the slight peppery rye flavours. When first made it was a bit sweet, but still very enjoyable. However, as it sat the sweetness softened and the herbal and bitter flavours came forward What a wonderful play of tastes as you consume the cocktail.
Torani Amer is a good sub for Picon if you live in the US. The makers claim it was directly inspired by the French aperitif. I've never tried Amer Picon, but I do know a Brooklyn made with Torani is pretty great.
Good? Well, yes, but perhaps the hype skewed my expectations. Much drier than I had hope. But then I didn't pay any attention to the strength & taste guide.