Cocktail | |
---|---|
Type | Cocktail |
Base spirit | |
Served | Straight up: chilled, without ice |
Standard garnish | orange slice |
Standard drinkware | Cocktail glass |
Commonly used ingredients |
|
The Toronto is a dry, rich, and mildly bitter cocktail consisting of rye whisky, Fernet-Branca, angostura bitters, and either sugar or simple syrup. An article in Gizmodo by Brent Rose describes it as the "most popular legit cocktail that uses fernet". [2] It is named after the Canadian city of Toronto. [3]
It was first recorded as the Fernet Cocktail in Robert Vermeire's 1922 edition of Cocktails: How to Mix Them, in which he stated that the "cocktail is much appreciated by the Canadians of Toronto". [4] Because the importation of alcoholic beverages to Ontario was banned, as a result of the 1921 prohibition referendum, a reliable source for the Italian-made fernet would not have been readily available. [3] It is unclear whether the Torontonians referenced by Vermeire obtained the drink in Toronto before prohibition, or at his bar in London, England. [3]
By 1930, it was listed as the Toronto Cocktail in Cocktail Bill Boothby's World Drinks And How To Mix Them by William "Cocktail" Boothby. The recipes by Vermeire and Boothby both listed equal measures of rye whisky and Fernet-Branca. In 1948, it was listed as the Toronto Cocktail in the book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks by David A. Embury, and in 1949 a recipe for the Toronto Cocktail was included in Esquire's Handbook for Hosts. [5]
The Toronto Cocktail is a variation of the Old Fashioned, with the addition of Fernet-Branca. [6]
Variations of the cocktail substitute various rye whiskeys as the primary ingredient, such as Canadian whisky [4] or Old Overholt. [7] The Fernet Cocktail recipe by Vermeire specified 1⁄4 gill (36 ml) of cognac or rye whisky, and 1⁄4 gill of Fernet-Branca. [8]
The rye whisky complements the bitter Fernet-Branca and prevents it from dominating the cocktail. [9] Sugar or simple syrup are used to reduce the cocktail's bitterness. [7]
It may be served in a cocktail glass or coupe glass, and served with an orange slice or twist. [7] [10] It may also be served with ice in an old fashioned glass. [8] It has a rich flavour with a mild bitterness. [9]
A Manhattan is a cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. While rye is the traditional whiskey of choice, other commonly used whiskies include Canadian whisky, bourbon, blended whiskey, and Tennessee whiskey. The cocktail is usually stirred then strained into a cocktail glass and garnished traditionally with a maraschino cherry. A Manhattan may also be served on the rocks in a lowball glass.
The old fashioned is a cocktail made by muddling sugar with bitters and water, adding whiskey, and garnishing with an orange slice or zest and a cocktail cherry. It is traditionally served with ice in an old fashioned glass.
The Sazerac is a local variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail originally from New Orleans, named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac brandy that served as its original main ingredient. The drink is most traditionally a combination of cognac or rye whiskey, absinthe, Peychaud's Bitters, and sugar, although bourbon whiskey is sometimes substituted for the rye and Herbsaint is sometimes substituted for the absinthe. Some claim it is the oldest known American cocktail, with origins in antebellum New Orleans, although drink historian David Wondrich is among those who dispute this, and American instances of published usage of the word cocktail to describe a mixture of spirits, bitters, and sugar can be traced to the dawn of the 19th century.
A bitters is traditionally an alcoholic preparation flavored with botanical matter for a bitter or bittersweet flavor. Originally, numerous longstanding brands of bitters were developed as patent medicines, but now are sold as digestifs, sometimes with herbal properties, and as cocktail flavorings.
The sidecar is any cocktail traditionally made with cognac, orange liqueur, plus lemon juice. In its ingredients, the drink is perhaps most closely related to the older brandy crusta, which differs both in presentation and in proportions of its components.
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. A popular variation, the vodka martini, uses vodka instead of gin for the cocktail's base spirit.
The hanky panky is a cocktail made from gin, sweet vermouth, and Fernet-Branca. It is a variation on the sweet martini, or Martinez, made distinctive by the Fernet-Branca, a bitter Italian digestivo. It was created by Ada "Coley" Coleman, head bartender at the Savoy Hotel, London.
A sour is a traditional family of mixed drinks. Sours belong to one of the old families of original cocktails and are described by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks.
Fernet is an Italian type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but usually include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and especially saffron, with a base of distilled grape spirits.
The Prince of Wales is a cocktail created by Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII. There are several variations of the cocktail, but what they usually have in common is champagne, angostura bitters, sugar, either rye whiskey or cognac, and a liqueur.
Amaro is an Italian herbal liqueur that is commonly consumed as an after-dinner digestif. It usually has a bitter-sweet flavour, sometimes syrupy, and has an alcohol content between 16% and 40%.
The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks is a book about cocktails by David A. Embury, first published in 1948. The book is noteworthy for its witty, highly opinionated and conversational tone, as well as its categorization of cocktails into two main types: aromatic and sour; its categorization of ingredients into three categories: the base, modifying agents, and special flavorings and coloring agents; and its 1:2:8 ratio for sour type cocktails.
The Ward 8 or Ward Eight is a cocktail originating in 1898 in Boston, Massachusetts, at the bar of the Gilded Age restaurant Locke-Ober.
Fernet-Branca is an Italian brand of fernet, a style of amaro or bitters. It was formulated in Milan in 1845, and is manufactured there by Fratelli Branca Distillerie.
Maple liqueur refers to various alcoholic products made from maple syrup, primarily in the Northeast United States and Canada. It is most commonly made by mixing Canadian rye whiskey and Canadian maple syrup. Maple liqueur is considered an important cultural beverage in certain Canadian festivals.
The Blackthorn is an Irish whiskey or sloe gin based cocktail. Both versions emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century.
A whiskey cocktail is a cocktail that includes whiskey. Although whiskey is often served neat or on the rocks, it is used in many classic cocktails such as the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, and Julep. Some specifically call for Scotch whisky or bourbon whiskey.
Fernet con coca, also known as fernando, its diminutive fernandito, or several other nicknames, is a long drink of Argentine origin consisting of the Italian amaro liqueur fernet and cola, served over ice. Although typically made with Fernet-Branca and Coca-Cola, several amaro brands have appeared in Argentina since its popularization, as well as ready-to-drink versions.