Monte Carlo
Rye, Bénédictine, and Angostura — Embury's 1948 Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, sweet vermouth replaced by Bénédictine, named for the Monaco principality.
- 2 ozrye whiskey
- ½ ozbenedictine
- 2 dashesangostura bitters
- lemon twistgarnish
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The Monte Carlo first appeared in print in David Embury's 1948 book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, one of the most influential cocktail manuals of the 20th century. Embury, a lawyer by trade and cocktail enthusiast by passion, documented this elegant rye-based variation on the Manhattan, replacing sweet vermouth with Benedictine — the centuries-old French herbal liqueur — and finishing with Angostura bitters. The result is a Manhattan cousin with a distinctly honeyed, aromatic sweetness in place of vermouth's vinous depth. Named after the glamorous principality of Monaco, the cocktail's sophisticated simplicity suits its lofty nameplate. Though it never achieved the fame of its Manhattan ancestor, the Monte Carlo is prized by craft bartenders for demonstrating how a single ingredient substitution can transform a familiar classic into something entirely new.
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