Endangered Cocktail: The Blinker Cocktail

Though LUPEC Boston ladies are egalitarian imbibers, rye whiskey holds a special place in our hearts,
largely because the spirit itself was endangered for a good chunk of the last century.
COCKTALE  Rye was the preferred spirit of colonial America, innovated by Scots-Irish immigrants
who brought the grain with them to the New World.  In the hostile Northeastern climate the hardy grain flourished,
making it a perfect go-to ingredient for many things, including booze.
It even caused a tiny little insurrection in 1794 called “The Whiskey Rebellion”, which George Washington required 13,OOO troops to quell.
Prohibition took a grave toll on American distilling, and rye in particular had a troubled time bouncing back,
with even mainstream brands difficult to find for many decades.  As cocktail enthusiasts began to excavate the classics,
many of which were prepared with rye, the spirit has begun again to flourish.
One such classic, favored by LUPEC Boston emeritus Contessa, is the Blinker.
Originally printed in 1934 in Patrick Gavin Duffy’s The Official Mixer’s Manual, Ted “Dr. Cocktail” Haigh breathed new life into the drink
when he published the recipe in his modern classic, Vintage Spirits And Forgotten Cocktails. The new edition by MudPuddle books
is a must read, and Dr. Cocktail’s version of the drink, made with raspberry syrup in place of grenadine, a must-drink.