Old Pal
Rye, dry vermouth and Campari in equal parts, stirred. Harry MacElhone's 1920s Paris drink — the Boulevardier's drier brother and the Negroni's whiskey cousin.
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, dry vermouth and Campari 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
- Equal parts is MacElhone's recipe and the balance; some modern bars go to one and a half of rye, which makes it drier still.
- A high-proof rye stands up to the Campari.
- A lemon twist, not orange; the dry vermouth wants the sharper oil.
Common mistakes
- Sweet vermouth; that is the Boulevardier.
- Bourbon; the rye's dryness is the point.
- Shaking.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between an Old Pal and a Boulevardier?
Rye and dry vermouth versus bourbon and sweet vermouth. The Old Pal is drier and sharper.
Who was Sparrow Robertson?
A sports columnist at the Paris Herald in the 1920s, known for calling everyone 'old pal'. MacElhone named the drink for him.
How is it related to the Negroni?
Rye in place of gin and dry vermouth in place of sweet. It is the Negroni's dry whiskey cousin.
Up or on the rocks?
Either; MacElhone served it up, and a large cube suits it.
Variations
- Boulevardier — Bourbon, Campari and sweet vermouth.
- Negroni — Gin, Campari and sweet vermouth.
- Lucien Gaudin — Gin, Campari, Cointreau and dry vermouth.
- Brooklyn — Rye, dry vermouth, maraschino and amaro.
Where it comes from
c. 1922 · Paris · Harry MacElhone · Harry's New York Bar
Harry MacElhone printed the Old Pal in his ABC of Mixing Cocktails in the early 1920s — Canadian rye, French vermouth and Campari in equal parts, stirred — and dedicated it to William ‘Sparrow’ Robertson, the sports editor of the Paris Herald, who called everyone ‘old pal’. The Boulevardier, from the same bar and book, is the same idea with bourbon and sweet vermouth; the Old Pal is the drier, sharper sibling, and it was the one that waited longer for its revival. It belongs to the family of Negroni variations that the 2000s rediscovered, and it is among the best of them.
Sources
- Harry MacElhone, Harry's ABC of Mixing Cocktails, 1922 (book)
- Gary Regan, The Negroni, 2015 (book)
- Harry MacElhone, Barflies and Cocktails, 1927 (book)
Strength. About 1.43 US standard drinks at an estimated 23.9% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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