Old Pal

The Old Pal is a Prohibition-era classic consisting of equal parts rye whiskey, Campari, and dry vermouth. 

The drink first appeared in the 1922 guide, ABC of Mixing Cocktails by Harry McElhone, the legendary bartender behind Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. McElhone is often credited for helping to popularize many iconic cocktails, including the Sidecar, the Bloody Mary, and the Boulevardier, which is essentially an Old Pal with sweet vermouth instead of dry.

In McElhone’s book, The Old Pal is named for his buddy and bar regular William “Sparrow” Robinson, a sports journalist at Paris’ The New York Herald at the time.

Why does the Old Pal work?

The Boulevardier is often referred to as a Negroni with whiskey. Trading gin for bourbon, the cocktail takes on a warmer, richer quality from the whiskey. The Old Pal has the full-bodied richness of a Boulevardier, with an equal parts build of a Negroni, but with a much drier flavor profile due to the dry vermouth swap. 

The original Old Pal recipe specifies that rye whiskey be used instead of the Boulevardier’s bourbon call. The peppery whiskey gives the drink a spicier character with an even drier finish.

Another differentiator from its bittersweet cocktail cousins is how the Old Pal is typically served. While the Negroni and Boulevardier both tend to be served over a large rock or two, the Old Pal is more commonly served up, without ice. Though the ice it is prepared with should contribute proper dilution, the final drink remains undiluted in the glass. This makes for an especially spirit-forward drink with a bold intensity.