Sure, it’s no longer against the law to mix and drink these cocktails, but we can always pretend right? The Scofflaw is the perfect drink for that kind of pretending too. The ingredients are classic, especially if you go with Rye, and you should. The flavor can range from dry to sweet depending on your taste. Finally, the color is simply stunning.
I started my experiments this week with The Joy of Mixology recipe (2 oz Rye, 1 oz Dry Vermouth, 1/2 oz Lemon Juice, 1/4 oz Grenadine) and found it to be a little too dry for my liking. The next recipe I mixed up (1 1/2 oz, 1 oz, 3/4 oz, 3/4 oz), from Forgotten Spirits and Cocktails, was on the opposite end of the spectrum, much too sweet. After a couple recipe tweaks I settled on one that I really like which ups the sour and sweet notes while keeping the whiskey and vermouth flavors present.
Scofflaw (Cocktail Hacker)
1 1/2 oz Rye 1 oz Dry Vermouth 3/4 oz Lemon Juice 1/2 oz Grenadine
Some parting comments. I tried both rye and bourbon in this cocktail and found both worked very well. But, as in the Manhattan, I felt the spiciness of the rye worked better in this application. I also used my homemade hibiscus grenadine that I discussed earlier in the week which is a little less sweet than some. Depending on the sweetness of your grenadine you may want to play with the amount you add to get the sweetness you’re looking for.