The Toronto
For the man who considers himself straightforward and is notFor the man who considers himself straightforward and is not
The Toronto appears in Robert Vermeire's 1922 Cocktails: How to Mix Them, though its origins are murky in the way that all Canadian contributions to civilization tend to be — present, substantial, and somehow underacknowledged. It is a rye whisky cocktail that pivots on Fernet-Branca, the most aggressively medicinal of all the Italian amari.
Ingredients
- 2 oz
Canadian rye whisky
A 100% rye expression from a small Ontario distillery. He who drinks this has received the bottle by post, without a note, annually, from a sender he has chosen not to identify.
- ¼ oz
Fernet-Branca
A supporting role, not the lead. The Fernet should be felt rather than announced.
- ¼ oz
Demerara syrup
- 2 dashes
Angostura bitters
A dash of Fernet Hunter — a Swedish Fernet produced from Nordic botanicals including spruce, yarrow, and lingonberry. Imported through a channel The Fixer established for a different purpose.
Method
Stir over ice until very cold.
Strain into a chilled coupe or a rocks glass over one large cube.
Express an orange peel over the surface and discard it. The oil is the garnish. The rest is architecture.
The member who drinks this describes himself as "a simple man with a simple drink." He is neither. The Secretary notes this without editorial comment, which is itself a form of editorial comment.