Time Out New York recently picked some must-haves if you’ve got a shrinking liquor budget. At the top of the list as substitutes for scotch and bourbon were two of our ryes – Old Overholt and Rittenhouse. Both of these spirits are technically whiskeys made from rye grain.
Of the two, the Old Overholt is slightly drier to the Rittenhouse’s more sweet, raisiny flavor, though the Overholt is only 80 proof and the Rittenhouse is 100 proof and “bottled in bond”. Both have the hallmark spiciness of rye and lack the wood and peat notes you’ll get in some scotch.
Our ryes can be used in a whiskey sour, a drink that Eric Felten of the Wall Street Journal profiled this weekend and called the “Katherine Hepburn” of cocktails for being appetizing but not overpowering. They also make great Manhattans or even a Brooklyn Cocktail.
Whiskey Sour
2 oz. Rye (try Rittenhouse or Old Overholt)
1/2-3/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz. simple syrup
Combine ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously. Serve straight up or over ice in a lowball glass garnished with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.