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Improved Whiskey Cocktail
Posted: July 28, 2026
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About
The Improved Whiskey Cocktail is a 19th-century predecessor to the modern Old Fashioned that upgrades the classic whiskey-sugar-bitters formula with maraschino liqueur and a rinse of absinthe. First published in Jerry Thomas' 1876 Bar-Tender's Guide, it represents the golden age of American cocktail craft — complex, spirit-forward, and bristling with character.
Ingredients
2 dash Angostura Bitters
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Rye Whiskey
1 dash Absinthe
0.5 oz Maraschino Liqueur
Instructions
- Add the absinthe to a chilled rocks glass, swirl to coat the interior, and discard the excess.
- Combine the rye whiskey, maraschino liqueur, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
- Stir for 25 seconds until well chilled.
- Strain into the absinthe-rinsed glass over a large ice cube.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.