Potent, sweet and slightly spicy, the Ward 8 cocktail is a delicious dram with a prestigious history.
We love cocktails here at Twist & Toast. All manner, flavor, color and size. There never seems to be any shortage of them, which is a good thing. Infinite diversity in infinite combinations, with all apologies to Mr. Spock. And a number of these mixed drinks carry a lot of history, with stories and tales to beat the band. Many of them contested and contradictory, too. Every new tipple that I come across and discover, there’s always a little mystery that comes along for the ride. I feel like Indiana Jones sometimes, only surrounded by far less exploding heads and booby traps.
When we talk about a cocktail’s history, cities like New York, San Francisco, Paris and New Orleans are mentioned quite a bit, but with tonight’s recipe, we’ll be giving Beantown some love.
The Ward 8 is a mixture that takes its name from a voting district in Boston, Massachusetts… a once particularly corrupt voting district. Politics is a dirty game, as we all know. It’s where the phrase mudslinging comes from. The most popular story around the invention of this drink—a riff on the Whiskey Sour—claims that it was invented in 1898 to celebrate the election of Martin Lomasney, a popular politician who worked for the city for over forty years.
While there are other stories that say the Ward 8 was created in New York City, or that it was the traditional dram of the Scots Guard, it is the Boston origin that holds the most water.
Or whiskey.
What Is The Best Whiskey To Use In A Ward 8 Cocktail?
Speaking of whiskey, let’s grab a nice bottle to make a Ward 8 or two with. And you’ll want a rye variety. When mixed with the lemon and orange juices in this recipe, the fruit and spiced notes from the rye will meld with the sweet and tart citrus flavors, bringing a balance and bite to each savory sip. I’m having a love affair with Bulleit at the moment, using their rye whenever a cocktail I make requires whiskey. And when I sip it neat, it finishes with a relaxing warmth.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces rye whiskey
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1/2 ounce orange juice freshly squeezed
- 1/4 ounce grenadine
- Cocktail cherry for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Pour the rye whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice, and grenadine into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake until the mixture is well chilled.
- Strain into a pre-chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cocktail cherry if desired.
Nutrition
WHAT GLASSWARE AND GARNISH ARE USED?
Chill a cocktail coupe in your freezer for around thirty minutes to make your drink extra cold. Once it’s poured in, garnish with a maraschino cherry.
CAN THIS DRINK BE MADE WITH BOURBON?
Yes. Over the years, bourbon has become the more common spirit used in this recipe over the traditional rye whiskey.
Similar Drinks To The Ward 8 Cocktail
Where would our favorite cocktails be without the buoyancy of citrus? I shudder to think. It would be awful to imagine what the world of mixed drinks would be like without lemons, limes, oranges… it’s a slippery slope that I’m glad isn’t our reality. If you love to have a strong, tart and sweet tipple to help wash away the day, Twist & Toast can provide a few recommendations to get your weekend started early.
- Blackberry Bourbon Smash – Lemon juice, berries and bourbon all get smashed together in this delicious beverage.
- Orange Crush – Freshly squeezed orange juice and lemon-lime soda give this vodka cocktail its sparkle.
- Gin Rickey – Fizzy and tart, this gin and lime juice concoction is one of my favorite drinks.
- Daiquiri – You won’t get scurvy with this classic mixture born in the Caribbean.
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