Add it to the Bar: Benedictine
A versatile liqueur that's tailor-made for the overproof rye already in the cabinet
Before I really dove deep into true “house cocktails” I always said that mine were the Negroni and the Monte Carlo. Only the Negroni got the full house cocktail treatment last year, and the Monte Carlo was left out. But that’s primarily because I’d already written quite a bit about the cocktail and the core ingredient that makes it work: Benedictine. And I don’t really have much to say that I haven’t said…
Quick Sip - Monte Carlo
In my house, we have two go-to cocktails: the Negroni, and the Monte Carlo. If I’m uninspired or unsure what to make, I usually go with one of those. The Negroni should be no surprise here; after all, that was my first-ever cocktail post.
Quick Sip: Benedictine
You may have noticed, in your near-month of seeing the bottle of Benedictine in your home bar, that it shares a name with an order of monks. And you might then have wondered, given the penchant of monestaries to make some incredible beer to this day, did they make this stuff too?
Indeed, a bottle of Benedictine should be in your home bar. And the Monte Carlo should be a frequent concoction. I previously described the cocktail thus:
To me, the Monte Carlo is the exact midpoint between an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan. It’s certainly sweeter than the Fremont (this month’s Cocktail of the Month and riff on the classic), but it’s not nearly as sweet as many Old Fashioneds can be. The recipe (if not the ratio) looks just like either of those drinks, though:
2 oz whiskey (ideally overproof rye)
0.5 oz sweetener (Benedictine)
2 dash bitters (ideally Peychaud’s)
Well, we know that the overproof rye is easy now - it’s Old Overhold BIB. The Benedictine is new, and the bitters we have aren’t what I called out as “ideal” before. And while I do love Peychaud’s I largely find them duplicative of Angostura. And since Peychaud’s is a bit lighter, I’d split the bitters with 1 dash of Ango and 1 dash of Orange.
It’s a simple, delicious drink that’s distinct from both the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan. It’s a bit sweeter than the Manhattan, and it’s spicier than the Old Fashioned. It really does occupy a middle ground that’s hard to find, and frankly it’s the easiest to make out of the 3 drinks. Which is certainly its own benefit…