The Pink Hook is a cross between a Manhattan and Brooklyn cocktail that requires rye whiskey, maraschino liqueur, and Punt e Mes — a uniquely bitter, candy vermouth. Italian bartender Vincenzo Errico created the cocktail in 2003 whereas on the famend cocktail bar Milk & Honey. 

The Pink Hook is taken into account to be the primary of the fashionable basic riffs that may change into a household of cocktails all named for Brooklyn neighborhoods. A lot of the variations characteristic a base of rye whiskey, vermouth, and a bitter factor, and are impressed by the pre-Prohibition basic cocktail referred to as the Brooklyn. 

The Brooklyn, which mixes rye whiskey, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon (a bittersweet French liqueur), is assumed to have been created within the early 1900s in response to the wildly fashionable Manhattan cocktail. Whereas the Manhattan survived Prohibition and thrived within the many years that adopted, the Brooklyn fell out of favor till it was rediscovered throughout the trendy cocktail resurgence of the early 2000s.

Errico was one of many first bartenders of this period to look to the Brooklyn for inspiration when he created the Pink Hook cocktail. Quickly after, a slew of neighborhood-specific riffs emerged with names such because the Greenpoint, Bay Ridge, and Bushwick. 

What makes the Pink Hook cocktail work?

Boozy, stirred, and sophisticated, the Pink Hook has a sturdy base of rye whiskey, which is barely much less candy than bourbon, and provides a bolder, peppery profile. 

Punt e Mes is technically a candy vermouth, made with a base of fortified wine, however the herbaceous, bittersweet profile might extra carefully resemble an amaro. Made with greater than a dozen proprietary herbs and spices, the ensuing taste profile has a wealthy quinine chunk and heady baking spice notes. The sturdy vermouth helps to boost the pepper spice qualities of the whiskey with a stability of caramel sweetness.

Maraschino liqueur is a transparent, layered liqueur constructed from bitter marasca cherries. It has a luscious mouthfeel and contributes tart cherry sweetness and sophisticated, nutty flavors. With an ABV on the upper finish of the spectrum, the cherry liqueur helps to fortify the drink even additional.