Blackthorn

Cocktail avec alcool

Catégorie : Alcoolisé

Ingrédients

4.50 cl de whisky (Irish)
2.50 cl de vermouth dry
3 goutte(s) de angostura
3 goutte(s) de absinthe
6 de glaçons

Préparation

Fill a mixing glass with ice cubes, then add the Irish whiskey, dry vermouth, the drops of absinthe botanical spirit, and the Angostura bitters, reserving the lemon zest.Stir with a spoon for 8 to 10 seconds to chill well and lightly dilute the mixture.Strain into a martini glass using a julep strainer.Take a lemon twist and express it over the glass between two fingers to release its oils, then drop it into the glass.Serve immediately.

Histoire

The Blackthorn is a classic cocktail from the whiskey-and-vermouth aperitif family, first appearing in cocktail books in the early 20th century. It belongs to the period when American and British bartenders popularized mixes of spirits, flavored vermouths, and bitters, in the spirit of Manhattan- or Martini-style cocktails. Its simple composition — whiskey, dry vermouth, Angostura bitters, and ice — is a good reflection of this tradition of short, precise, and balanced recipes.

The earliest mentions of the Blackthorn can be found in reference works from the Prohibition and pre-Prohibition eras, when cocktails were codified in the bars of major English-speaking cities. According to historical sources, there are several variations of the Blackthorn: some use Irish whiskey, others rye or scotch, and some versions add sweet vermouth rather than dry vermouth. The dry vermouth version you indicate corresponds to a drier, crisper interpretation of the cocktail.

The name Blackthorn most likely refers to the blackthorn, a thorny shrub whose dark berries and wood were well known in the British Isles. This type of name was common in the culture of old cocktails, where the drink was often associated with a botanical or poetic image. Even today, the Blackthorn remains an interesting cocktail in the history of mixology, as it illustrates how classics have circulated, evolved, and been adapted according to the eras and the preferences of bartenders.