Saratoga
3/4 ounce brandy
3/4 ounce rye whiskey
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Garnish: Lemon slice
Stir with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Source: "Jerry Thomas' Bar-Tenders Guide" 1887
Originally, cocktails had such fanciful names as “gin cocktail”, “whiskey cocktail”, and “brandy cocktail”. Now that is some creativity the likes of which we haven’t seen in a long time. Such names were common in the original bartender’s guide published in 1862 by Jerry Thomas. By the time he published his second book in 1887; cocktail names had taken a decidedly different turn. Besides the Manhattan, Morning Glory, and Martinez cocktail, we also see one of the first appearances of the Saratoga cocktail. This variation on a Manhattan includes brandy along with the whiskey.