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Cocktail History
The Midnight Stinger is a a modern cocktail that was created by Sam Ross of Attaboy in New York City, New York. It’s a variation of the iconic Stinger that turns the original into a Whiskey Sour by substituting whiskey in place of the classic brandy and adding citrus juice, sugar, and the bitter amaro Fernet-Branca.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Rye: This is a type of whiskey made with at least 51% fermented rye grain, malted barley, corn, and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in new charred oak barrels to develop a spicy, robust flavor.
Fernet-Branca: This is a liqueur made in Italy with a proprietary blend of herbs, roots, and spices, including myrrh, saffron, chamomile, and rhubarb, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bitter, menthol flavor.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet flavor.
Mint: This is an herb made from the leaves of the mint plant, which are harvested and used for their cool, aromatic flavor.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Golden brown color
• Aroma: Mint and spices
• Taste: Citrus-forward flavor featuring rye’s spiciness and bitter amaro
• Finish: Sweetness with a hint of mint
Kendall’s Take: “It’s been a long time since I tried the original Stinger, so I don’t really remember much about it other than that it was simple to make. Although meant to be a variation of the classic, this cocktail is quite different since it’s made with whiskey instead of brandy and omits crème de menthe altogether. I do believe I prefer this one even with the added bitterness of Fernet-Branca though. I also made a version with Fernet-Branca Menta so it would be more similar to the original Stinger, but I personally found it to be too minty and liked the true Midnight Stinger a bit more. It’s quite balanced and tastes like rye with a hint of mint. I would drink this again.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.
Midnight Stinger
Description
The Midnight Stinger is a a modern cocktail that was created by Sam Ross of Attaboy in New York City, New York. It's a variation of the iconic Stinger that turns the original into a Whiskey Sour by substituting whiskey in place of the classic brandy and adding citrus juice, sugar, and the bitter amaro Fernet-Branca.
Ingredients
Method
Add whiskey, Fernet-Branca, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a shaker.
Fill shaker with cubed ice.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Fill a lowball glass with fresh crushed ice.
Using a Hawthorne strainer, strain into lowball glass.
Garnish with mint sprig.
