increduble drink! Ugly color! Sadly, my creme de violette’s color is this ghastly black purple. Drink it heartily just with your eyes closed

some people I know (and love) sub bourbon for the rye. normally I would agree to anything bourbon... because bourbon.
that said™, imo a Vieux Carré is quite a bit better with rye in it (and shows more authenticity).
now, not all rye is created equal and there are so many to choose from. to make things less complicated, these two suggestions are inexpensive, available, and both quite different and delicious in this classic:
Rittenhouse 100
Sazerac (only 45%/vol. but...)

Whistlepig piggyback sings in a Sazerac and it does here too… if you are looking for recommendations, of course ?

Incredible! I was intrigued by the unusual pairing of liqueurs but was delighted to find how tasty this was. I bulked up the vodka by 15 ml and added 15 ml of cognac for a little more body. Magnificent stuff

An understated flavor profile, but tasty. I added just the tiniest bit of St. Germain (5 mL or less) to enhance the pineapple just a bit and upped the rye by 15 mL - it seemed to round it out nicely.

For those fearful of the quantity of chartreuse in this recipe, your bravery will be rewarded when trying this recipe!! Chartreuse is an acquired and intense taste. Personally, I am apprehensive of any recipe that calls for more than 15 mL of the stuff. However, I tried this recipe on a whim because it stood out from the vast array of Manhattan or old fashioned riffs when searching for rye nightcaps. This is going in my “best of” cocktail notebook.

I liked this a lot! This may be heretical but I think you could almost skip the vermouth… delicious recipe regardless.

Delicious! The Amaro gives it a nice texture and goes down smooth. This recipe is also great when you swap out the rum for bourbon. Highly recommended either way

I know the Negroni is a classic, but I just don’t get it. I am certain I am missing something. I’m more of a Bourbon/cognac drinker, and my palate skews towards “honeyed” flavors (st. Germain, Benedictine, Domaine De Canton). For that reason, I am a total noob at clear spirits. I haven’t had a good gin ever and find “recognizable” names to taste like an herbal punch in the face. Can anyone recommend a decent gin? I dig the softness of Genever but the yeasty finish is inappropriate for this drink

Was quite sweet as specified. I used about 1/3 of the suggested amount the next time around and it was great

I’ve made this with Hennessy as suggested, and later, with Pierre Ferrand Cognac. It is noticeably better with the Ferrand Cognac in it. Adds a subtle citrus note that brightens the overall flavor of this lovely, complex, and simple little drink. Delicious. Highly recommended

We liked this as a nightcap. Never mixed St Germain with bourbon before, enjoyed it greatly.

I hadn’t either until recently. I love this drink and I think it tastes even better substituting the simple syrup with Local Hive honey. Grapefruit bitters with it is amazing as well.

It tastes pink.

You may want to give this another shot by making your own grenadine. The Waldorf Astoria Cocktail book has a great recipe - combine and heat 12 oz pomegranate juice, 12 oz of brown sugar, and the peels from two oranges. Heat just long enough to bring to a boil and immediately take off the burner. Let ingredient steep for 3-5 min and strain. Bottle in a sterile jar with a splash of everclear to keep for a little longer in the fridge. Keeps up to a month. Do that and give this drink another go ;)

Very good! I made some cranberry syrup for this drink and used about .5 oz and 1 oz cranberry juice. Boosted the cranberry a little and made it less tart. Using the cranberry syrup boosted the red hue of the drink and made for an impressive presentation with a spiral curl orange peel on the rim. *chefs kiss* good recipe!

Quite good!

This was quite good! So good, I made it again with a slight tweak. I substituted the triple sec for honey syrup and it was *chef’s kiss*

I enjoyed this though I will definitely use 2/3 of an ounce rather than a full ounce of triple sec next time around.

Delicious! I apologize, I generally don’t like Islay Scotch Whisky (or any Scotch). I imagine its comparable to how some people are genetically wired to taste metal when they eat cilantro. To me scotch tastes like how a box of bandaids smells. That said - as someone who doesn’t care for Scotch - when added in this cocktail it really brings the whole recipe home. The smoky notes of the Islay brings all the flavors together in an extraordinary way. So delicious! I will be making this again.

Nice complexity and dimension in this recipe. Definitely preferred over the Whitefield recipe. Next time I’ll use a little less Luxardo liqueur.

Adds a nice “roundness” to the natural flavors of a quality cognac with subtle notes of ginger. Good evening sipper.

Also tasty with dark local honey instead of the rich simple syrup. Cognac and Domaine De Canton are an inexplicably delicious combo and make for a great after dinner sipper.

Last question - why so little vodka? For all that work it doesn’t seem like a very boozy drink ??. Seriously though, does it hurt to add another ounce or two of vodka?

Well, sure, but it’s almost less than an ounce of vodka per serving. Possibly even less depending on what your serving size guidance is. I guessed that a serving is 4 oz and it’s about 0.4 - 0.5 of vodka for each portion which barely qualifies as a cocktail. I was just curious what the rationale was for such little alcohol content. Perhaps a typo in the recipe? Or maybe there are some general guiding principles about alcohol proportions in punches that I am not educated about. I use your site to educate myself about the craft of making cocktails because you offer such a wealth of useful information and delicious recipes. I defer to your expertise, but I am just asking as a “student” of yours not as a snide commenter.