The Algonquin is named for the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan, and steeped in history. The hotel had been serving as meeting place for a roast for drama critic Alexander Woollcott. It soon became an ongoing meeting place for people such as Harpo Marx, Dorothy Parker, and Peggy Wood. The drink ended up being named in their honor, and is still served today.
Algonquin
The Algonquin is an interesting and unusual cocktail. The flavor of rye gives a distinctly spicy note, but one that doesn’t quite match up against the fruitiness of pineapple or the herbal nature of dry vermouth. This cocktail, despite the ingredients, is dry. Going into it with that in mind will temper your expectations.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
To be honest, I’ve made I don’t know how many Algonquins and I assume someone likes them, but I just can’t fathom why. If you like a relatively dry, sort of spicy cocktail, with a strong herbal note – here are the best things I can tell you.
- Rye – We originally used our go to standard of Rittenhouse Rye. It provided the description in the paragraph following the recipe. I thought it might be an issue with the rye, and used Elijah Craig Rye. This emphasized some of the marshmallow and herbal notes. My best recommendation here is to use your favorite rye – that’s not expensive – and hope it works for you.
- Pineapple Juice – Our default standard is Dole’s small cans. They’re cheaper so you can use them without throwing out a lot of pineapple juice.
- Dry Vermouth – We used our standard Dolin Dry Vermouth here. I don’t think there’s a lot of benefit that you’ll see from switching here, however there’s a part of me that thinks Bianco Vermouth might work better.
That’s about the best advice I can offer. I’d love to say there’s some reason to make this, but some classics are forgotten for a reason. Got a reason you love this drink or a tweak you think makes it perfect? Let us know in the comments!