Old Pal

Here’s one cocktail that feels like an old friend. 

The Old Pal is actually an old pal of the Boulevardier – a bourbon variation of the Negroni. The Negroni was whipped up in the early 1900s in Florence by Count Camillo Negroni. While the classic Negroni is made with gin, it gave way to about a million other variations, including the bourbon-based Boulevardier. 

The Boulevardier was first stirred in the 1920s in Paris by famed bartender Harry MacElhone. His bar, “Harry’s”, was a New York style bar set in the heart of Paris where MacElhone mixed up several new creations inspired by the surge of ex-pats in France. But while the Boulevardier steals the spotlight these days, the Old Pal had an equal shot at fame. 

The Old Pal, at its core, is a rye variation on a Boulevardier (which is a bourbon variation on a Negroni – just to be clear). It’s an elegant combination of Campari and dry vermouth, with a touch of spice from the rye. Allegedly, MacElhone mixed the cocktail in honor of William “Sparrow” Robinson – a friend, regular at the bar, and oh yeah, the Sports Editor for “The New York Herald” in Paris. Talking to Robinson felt like talking to an old pal for MacElhone and so the rest was history. Okay, well not quite. 

At the time, both the Old Pal and the Boulevardier were evenly matched in popularity, but chances are today you’ve heard of the Boulevardier and not the Old Pal. So what happened? We wish the Old Pal’s fall into obscurity was a dramatic tale of gossip and intrigue, but unfortunately the cocktail just didn’t make the cut. As the classic cocktails from the 1900-1930s fell out of fashion throughout the century, they also began to fall out of print, out of practice, and out of people’s knowledge. By the 1990s, as the cocktail resurgence began, it was a small group deciding what came back and what didn’t. And for whatever reason, no one picked the Old Pal as a vintage drink worth revitalizing. And so the rest was *actually* history. 

The Old Pal may take a backseat to its more famous friend, but when you’re looking for a spicy, smooth cocktail – the Old Pal is not a bad friend to call.