Rye whiskey cocktails

Rye whiskey is the spicy, dry side of American whiskey and the original base of many nineteenth-century classics, including the Manhattan and the Sazerac. This page gathers rye cocktails from stirred classics to sours and highballs. You also learn how rye differs from bourbon, why bartenders value its peppery backbone and how to pick a bottle that holds up against vermouth, bitters and absinthe.

9 cocktails

What rye whiskey is

American rye whiskey must be made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye grain and aged in new, charred oak containers, following rules similar to bourbon. Canadian whisky is sometimes also called rye by tradition, but it does not have to contain much rye at all, so check the label if a recipe calls for American rye.

How rye tastes

Rye grain brings pepper, baking spice, herbs and a dry, slightly bitter finish. Compared with bourbon it is less sweet and more assertive. That makes it very good in stirred drinks where it has to stand up to sweet vermouth, liqueurs or bitters.

Rye in the history of the cocktail

Rye was widely distilled in Pennsylvania and Maryland and was a common bar whiskey in the nineteenth century. Many early recipes for the Manhattan and the Sazerac call for rye. Production declined sharply after Prohibition, and rye only returned to most bars in the 2000s.

Choosing a bottle

Typical ratios

The Manhattan uses 60 ml rye, 30 ml sweet vermouth and two dashes of Angostura bitters, stirred and served straight up. A Sazerac stirs 60 ml rye with a sugar cube or syrup and Peychaud's bitters, then strains it into a glass rinsed with absinthe.