Monte Carlo
Rye, Bénédictine and Angostura, stirred. A 1940s Old Fashioned with Bénédictine in place of sugar — honeyed, spiced, and one of the simplest great whiskey drinks.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe, or fill a rocks glass with a large cube.
Add the rye, Bénédictine and bitters to a mixing glass.
Fill with ice and stir for 25 seconds.
Strain into the glass, express a lemon twist over the top and drop it in.
A thoughtful finish
- Half an ounce of Bénédictine is the balance; it is sweet and a quarter-ounce more turns the drink syrupy.
- A high-proof rye stands up to the liqueur; a 40% one gets lost.
- Embury served it up; on a large cube it is an excellent slow drink.
Common mistakes
- Bourbon by habit; the rye's spice is what balances the honey.
- Too much Bénédictine.
- Shaking.
A few good questions.
What does a Monte Carlo taste like?
A rye Old Fashioned with honey, saffron and herbs in place of sugar — spicy, sweet, aromatic, strong.
How is it different from a Frisco?
The Frisco is the same two ingredients without bitters; the Monte Carlo adds Angostura. They are near twins.
Why 'Monte Carlo'?
Glamour. Embury gave no explanation.
Up or on the rocks?
Embury's recipe is up; a large cube suits it equally well.
Variations
- Old Fashioned — Rye, sugar and bitters.
- Frisco Sour — Rye, Bénédictine, lemon and lime.
- Bobby Burns — Scotch, sweet vermouth and Bénédictine.
- Vieux Carré — Rye, cognac, vermouth and Bénédictine.
Where it comes from
c. 1948 · United States
The Monte Carlo is in David Embury’s The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks of 1948 — rye whiskey, Bénédictine and Angostura bitters, stirred — and nowhere earlier that anyone has found; the name is the Riviera glamour of the era and nothing more. It is a Manhattan with Bénédictine doing the vermouth’s job, or an Old Fashioned with the liqueur doing the sugar’s, and it belongs with the Bobby Burns and the Frisco in the small family of whiskey-and-Bénédictine drinks. It was forgotten until the Bénédictine revival of the 2000s and is now a bartender’s favourite.
Sources
- David Embury, The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, 1948 (book)
- Ted Haigh, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, 2009 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Monte Carlo, 2015 (reference)
Strength. About 1.88 US standard drinks at an estimated 36.7% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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