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The Old Pal cocktail is a three ingredient cocktail that’s sleek and sippable, balancing bitter and sweet with fiery whiskey.
Here’s a crisp, punchy three-ingredient red drink that’s sleek and sippable: the Old Pal cocktail! It’s complex and spirit-forward, a unique whiskey cocktail if you love dry cocktails like a Negroni or a Manhattan.
The Old Pal pairs bitter Campari with dry vermouth and fiery rye whiskey into a drink that’s dry, bitter and spicy all at once. Here’s how to make it!
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Very tasty and a nice change from the usual sweet vermouth. Definitely an appetite stimulant prior to dinner. I’ll make it again!” -Alexa
What Is an Old Pal Cocktail?
The Old Pal is a classic cocktail classic built from three ingredients: rye whiskey, Campari, and dry vermouth. It’s very spirit forward and dry. Some might say the Old Pal is a variation on a Negroni (gin, sweet vermouth and Campari), but it’s actually more like the Boulevardier which uses whiskey.
What’s in the name? It comes from a man named William “Sparrow” Robertson, who was a sports editor at the New York Herald who greeted people he met calling them “old pals.” The first printed version of the drink was in Harry MacElhone’s 1927 book Barflies and Cocktails.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need for this drink:
- Rye whiskey: Rye whiskey adds peppery notes to contrast the Campari’s bitterness. I actually really like this drink with bourbon too, which makes it a little sweeter.
- Dry vermouth: This is the white vermouth you’d use in a Classic Martini, so as you’d guess: this drink turns out very dry.
- Campari: The Italian red amaro that gives it a red color and bitter flavor: see my Quick Guide to Campari.
How to Make an Old Pal Cocktail
The Old Pal cocktail is a three-ingredient drink that’s so easy to make! You don’t even need a cocktail shaker. It’s a classic stirred cocktail which you can stir together in a cocktail mixing glass, or any glass you have on hand. Here are the basic steps to make it (or go to the recipe below):
- Mix. Place all ingredients in a mixing glass with 1 handful of ice and stir for 30 seconds. This chills the cocktail and dilutes it less than shaking in a cocktail shaker would.
- Strain and serve. Strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice.
Dry Vermouth vs Sweet Vermouth
Vermouth is a fortified wine, meaning liquor has been added to stabilize it. It lasts about 3 months in the refrigerator, so make sure to store it chilled. There are two main types of vermouth: sweet and dry. What’s the difference:
- Sweet vermouth is usually red. The flavor is subtly sweet and spicy, with a hit of bitter on the back end. Sweet vermouth is used in many classic cocktails: most famously the Manhattan, Negroni and the Americano.
- Dry vermouth is usually white. The flavor is crisp and clear, dry with a light tang. Dry white vermouth is used in martinis, like the Classic Martini, Dirty Martini and Cucumber Martini. Here are all our favorite Vermouth Cocktails to use up a bottle!
All About Campari
While the jewel-toned red color looks like it could be sweet, Campari is an Italian bitter. It’s what makes a Negroni a Negroni, and is used in lots of other cocktails (see below). It’s infused with different herbs and fruits, so it has a complex flavor: bitter, fruity and spicy all at once! The flavor is very distinctive: you either love it or you hate it! Grab a bottle for this Old Pal, and you can make a whole host of cocktails…
A unique Campari cocktail? Try the Jungle Bird, a tropical rum drink, or the Garibaldi, an Italian cocktail with Campari and orange.
When and What to Serve With It
The Old Pal is an aperitif, so it’s meant to be sipped during appetizers or hors d’oeuvres.
Salty appetizers pair well here, so try Marinated Olives, a Ultimate Cheese Board or an Antipasto Platter. Spiced Nuts work too, and my 20 Great Italian Appetizers.
Old Pal Cocktail
The Old Pal cocktail is a three ingredient cocktail that’s sleek and sippable, balancing bitter, sweet, and dry with fiery whiskey.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) bourbon or rye whiskey
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) dry vermouth
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Campari
- For the garnish: lemon peel
Instructions
- Combine the whiskey, vermouth, and Campari in a cocktail mixing glass (or any other type of glass). Fill the mixing glass with 1 handful ice and stir continuously for 30 seconds.
- Strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.
Very tasty and a nice change from the usual sweet vermouth. Definitely an appetite stimulant prior to dinner. I’ll make it again!
So glad you enjoyed!