Blinker
Rye, grapefruit juice and grenadine, shaken. A 1934 drink that was dull with the red syrup of its time and became a modern classic with real grenadine or raspberry syrup.
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.
Add the rye, grapefruit juice and grenadine to a shaker.
Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 to 12 seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe and garnish with a grapefruit twist.
A thoughtful finish
- Real grenadine or a good raspberry syrup; the dyed red syrup is why the drink vanished for seventy years.
- White grapefruit makes it drier and more bitter; pink makes it softer and pinker. Both work.
- A high-proof rye keeps the drink from being thin against the juice.
Common mistakes
- Artificial grenadine.
- Bottled grapefruit juice, which is sweet and flat.
- Bourbon by habit; the rye's spice is what balances the fruit.
A few good questions.
Grenadine or raspberry syrup?
Either. Duffy's 1934 recipe says grenadine; Ted Haigh's revival uses raspberry syrup because mid-century grenadine was dreadful. With real pomegranate grenadine, the original is excellent.
What does a Blinker taste like?
A dry rye sour with grapefruit's bitterness and a pomegranate or raspberry sweetness — pink, tart, spicy.
Why 'Blinker'?
Nobody knows. Duffy gave no explanation.
Can I use bourbon?
Yes, for a sweeter drink. Rye is the recipe and the better balance.
Variations
- Brown Derby — Bourbon, grapefruit and honey.
- Whiskey Sour — Rye, lemon and sugar.
- Jack Rose — Applejack, lime and grenadine.
- Hemingway Daiquiri — Rum, lime, grapefruit and maraschino.
Where it comes from
1934 · United States
The Blinker was printed in Patrick Gavin Duffy’s Official Mixer’s Manual in 1934, the year after Repeal, as rye, grapefruit juice and grenadine — an odd combination for the time, when grapefruit was a breakfast fruit, not a mixer. It was forgotten until Ted Haigh revived it in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails in 2004, substituting raspberry syrup for the artificial grenadine of the mid-century and turning a curiosity into a drink. With real pomegranate grenadine the original works too. It is a rye sour on grapefruit, dry and pink, and one of the revival’s quiet successes.
Sources
- Patrick Gavin Duffy, The Official Mixer's Manual, 1934 (book)
- Ted Haigh, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, 2009 (book)
- Robert Simonson, A Proper Drink, 2016 (book)
Strength. About 1.5 US standard drinks at an estimated 20.6% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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