Don’t blink or you may miss this cocktail.
The Blinker is one of the Prohibition-era cocktails that, for whatever reason, didn’t quite withstand the test of time. In 1934, the cocktail was popular enough to make its way into, “The Official Mixer’s Manual,” but was practically dead by the 1940s. It wasn’t until Ted Haigh’s 2009 book, “Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails,” that the Blinker became, well, un-forgotten. And once you get to know this cocktail, its long time in obscurity doesn’t make much sense.
The Blinker is composed of rye whiskey, grapefruit juice, and raspberry syrup, which really makes it a sassy little riff on the Whiskey Sour or a more puckery riff on the Ward 8. All depending on how you want to look at it. The original recipe does call for grenadine instead of raspberry syrup, which is a great option if you’d like a sweeter drink or just don’t feel like searching for or making raspberry syrup.
Either way, the Blinker is a fun and elegant cocktail that in the blink of an eye, might become your new favorite cocktail.
Blinker
Equipment
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Coupe Glass (chilled)
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Rye Whiskey
- 1 ounce Grapefruit Juice
- ½ ounce Raspberry Syrup
- 3 Raspberries (garnish)
Raspberry Syrup
- 1½ cups Raspberries
- 1 cup Water
- 2 cups Sugar
Instructions
- Add 2 ounces of Rye Whiskey, 1 ounce of grapefruit juice, and ½ ounce of raspberry syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake until well chilled and then strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with raspberries.
Raspberry Syrup
- In a blender, combine 1½ cups of raspberries and 1 cup of water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat and then reduce to a low heat.
- Stir the mixture frequently for 7 minutes and then remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Strain the mixture until you have about 1 cup of raspberry juice.
- Transfer the juice back into the clean blender and blend with 2 cups of sugar.
- Blend until the sugar is dissolved and then transfer to a clean jar.
