Black Rose
Bourbon, a dash of grenadine and bitters over ice with a lemon twist. Old Mr. Boston's 1930s bourbon on the rocks with a blush — simple, dry and the colour of a dark rose.
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.
Add the grenadine and bitters to a rocks glass.
Add a large ice cube and the bourbon.
Stir for 15 seconds.
Express a lemon twist over the drink and drop it in.
A thoughtful finish
- Real grenadine; the dyed syrup makes it cough medicine.
- A quarter-ounce; it is an Old Fashioned's sugar, not a sweetener.
- A rye makes it drier.
Common mistakes
- Too much grenadine.
- Dyed grenadine.
- Skipping the lemon twist.
A few good questions.
What does a Black Rose taste like?
Bourbon on the rocks with a faint pomegranate sweetness, bitters and lemon oil — dry, simple and dark red.
Where is it from?
The Old Mr. Boston guide, 1935.
Is it an Old Fashioned?
In effect — grenadine for the sugar, no muddling.
Which grenadine?
Real pomegranate grenadine: Jack Rudy, Liber & Co, or homemade.
Variations
- Old Fashioned — Whiskey, sugar and bitters.
- Opening Cocktail — Rye, sweet vermouth and grenadine.
- Bull and Bear — Bourbon, curaçao, lime and grenadine.
- Ward Eight — Rye, lemon, orange and grenadine.
Where it comes from
c. 1935 · United States
The Black Rose is in the Old Mr. Boston Bartender’s Guide of 1935 — a dash of grenadine and a dash of bitters in an old-fashioned glass with ice, bourbon poured over, a twist of lemon — a drink from the years just after Repeal, when bourbon was being sold as something to drink on the rocks with a little dressing. It is an Old Fashioned with grenadine for the sugar and no muddling, and the name is the colour the grenadine gives: a dark rose in the glass. It has been revived as a quick, dry bourbon drink that needs nothing but a bottle of real grenadine; a quarter-ounce is enough, and the lemon twist is what makes it.
Sources
- Old Mr. Boston De Luxe Official Bartender's Guide, 1935 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Black Rose, 2012 (reference)
- Robert Simonson, The Old-Fashioned, 2014 (book)
Strength. About 1.54 US standard drinks at an estimated 33.4% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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