Liquid Persuasion

Scofflaw cocktail

Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz rye or Canadian whiskey, 1 oz dry vermouth, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 3/4 oz grenadine, 1 dash orange bitters. Shake with ice and strain into a chilled into a chilled glass.

Source: Bitters: A History

In 1923, a “scofflaw” was an adjective for “a lawless drinker.” It was supposed to be an insult, but naturally these scofflaws celebrated it as a badge of honor—and with a toast—especially at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, where this cocktail was invented.

Honestly, the cocktail itself was just okay. But the story behind it is great!