Brainstorm
A deceptively simple Irish whiskey cocktail with dry vermouth and Bénédictine, stirred to silky perfection — cozy, layered, and deeply satisfying.
- 2 ozirish whiskey
- ½ ozdry vermouth
- ½ ozbenedictine
- Lemon twist (expressed and discarded)garnish
- 1Combine Irish whiskey, dry vermouth, and Bénédictine in a mixing glass.
- 2Fill with ice and stir for 20–25 seconds until well chilled.
- 3Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- 4Express a lemon twist over the glass to release the oils, then discard the twist.
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The Brainstorm first appeared in Hugo R. Ensslin's "Recipes for Mixed Drinks" (2nd edition, 1917) and was reprinted in Harry Craddock's 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book. For decades it was an obscure historical footnote until bartender Al Sotack championed it at Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co in Philadelphia and later at Jupiter Disco in Brooklyn (2016 onward). PUNCH profiled the drink in the context of Sotack's influence on the modern cocktail revival, cementing its place as a bartender's drink: three ingredients, no shortcuts.
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