Root 'n' Rye
This drink is based on the Rock ‘n’ Rye, which appeared as an apothecary style elixir, and moved from the bar to the pharmacy during Prohibition. The rock candy helped to offset the poor taste and quality of the whiskey available at the time.
In the Root ‘n’ Rye, rock candy provides the sweetness that usually comes from simple syrup today. Red birch bark soda also adds sweetness (without being overly sweet) and a deep red color. It’s a more spirit-forward drink (typical of the early 20th century) that has a dryness that will be pleasing to whiskey drinkers.
Recipe:
- 2 ½ oz Few Rock and Rye (*bottle conditioned; see recipe below)
- 3 oz Frostop Red Birch Bark soda
- 3 drops of Dashfire Old Fashioned Bitters
- 3″ rock candy swizzle stick for garnish
* To make the Root ‘n’ Rye pre-mix, add to on bottle of Few Rye:
- 1 Rock candy stick (can substitute 1 T sugar in the raw)
- 2 wide cut orange peels
- 6 Door County dried cherries
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a lowball glass, over large ice cubes.
The Commodore Bar & Restaurant re-opened in October 2015 in St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill neighborhood. It originally opened in the 1920s and maintains that look and feel today.
79 Western Ave North
Saint Paul, MN 55102
(651) 330-5999