How a Missing Ingredient Sparked One of the Best Modern Whiskey Cocktails

"In Regarding Cocktails, Sasha Petraske's posthumous 2016 book, written by Georgette Moger-Petraske, Solomon shares the drink's origins. "I was inspired to create the Bensonhurst as an alternative to the Brooklyn cocktail, partly because of the lack of original-formula Amer Picon," he says in the book. "Vincenzo Errico had already created the Red Hook at Milk & Honey in 2004 as the first of the Brooklyn variations, which set the precedent of choosing other Brooklyn neighborhoods to name the variations it spawned.""

"At the time, Solomon was living in the south Brooklyn neighborhood of Bensonhurst. Drawing inspiration from its Italian American community, he swapped in Cynar - the bittersweet, artichoke-based Italian amaro - for Amer Picon. Why the Bensonhurst cocktail works Compared with many early-2000s Brooklyn variations, the Bensonhurst stays relatively close to the original template, retaining the rye, dry vermouth, and maraschino. Cynar steps in for Amer Picon, lending a layered bitterness with earthy, subtly vegetal depth."

Chad Solomon created the Bensonhurst in winter 2006 while working at Milk & Honey and Pegu Club in New York City. The cocktail combines rye whiskey, dry vermouth, Cynar, and maraschino liqueur. Solomon developed the drink as an alternative to the Brooklyn cocktail because original-formula Amer Picon was hard to source. Vincenzo Errico had created the Red Hook in 2004, establishing a pattern of neighborhood-named Brooklyn variations. Living in Bensonhurst and drawing on its Italian American community, Solomon substituted Cynar, an artichoke-based Italian amaro. Cynar provides layered bitterness, earthy vegetal depth, spice, richness, and a savory finish, producing a bold, aromatic Manhattan-like variation.

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