Brainstorm
Irish whiskey, dry vermouth and Bénédictine, stirred with an orange twist. A 1916 drink that is the Irish whiskey Manhattan — dry, honeyed and underrated.
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 whiskey, dry vermouth and Bénédictine to a mixing glass.
Fill with ice and stir for 25 seconds.
Strain into the chilled coupe, express an orange peel over the top and drop it in.
A thoughtful finish
- The 1916 recipe is whiskey with dashes of the other two; half an ounce each makes a modern, balanced drink. Reduce the Bénédictine to a quarter-ounce if you prefer it drier.
- A pot-still Irish whiskey — spicier and fuller than a blend — makes a far better Brainstorm.
- The orange peel is the drink's aroma; do not skip it.
Common mistakes
- Sweet vermouth; that is a different drink, closer to a Manhattan.
- Too much Bénédictine; it goes syrupy.
- Shaking.
A few good questions.
What does a Brainstorm taste like?
A dry Irish whiskey Manhattan with honey and herbs — soft, aromatic, not sweet.
Why Irish whiskey?
It was one of the few classic recipes written for it, and its gentleness suits the dry vermouth and Bénédictine.
Can I use bourbon or rye?
Yes; rye makes a drier, spicier version. But the Irish whiskey is the point of the drink.
What is Bénédictine?
A French herbal liqueur with honey and saffron, used here as the sweetener.
Variations
- Manhattan — Rye and sweet vermouth.
- Bobby Burns — Scotch, sweet vermouth and Bénédictine.
- Tipperary — Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth and Chartreuse.
- Vieux Carré — Rye, cognac, vermouth and Bénédictine.
Where it comes from
1916 · New York City
The Brainstorm is in Hugo Ensslin’s Recipes for Mixed Drinks of 1916 and in the Savoy Cocktail Book of 1930: Irish whiskey with a dash each of dry vermouth and Bénédictine, and an orange peel. It is one of the few classic cocktails built on Irish whiskey — a spirit the cocktail books of the era mostly ignored — and it works because Irish whiskey’s softness suits the dry vermouth and the Bénédictine’s honey. It disappeared with most Irish whiskey cocktails and was revived as the category grew in the 2010s.
Sources
- Hugo Ensslin, Recipes for Mixed Drinks, 1916 (book)
- Harry Craddock, The Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930 (book)
- Ted Haigh, Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, 2009 (book)
Strength. About 1.81 US standard drinks at an estimated 30.1% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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