Scofflaw

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Cocktail History

The Scofflaw is a classic cocktail that was created by Harry EacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, France. It is traditionally made with rye, vermouth, grenadine, and citrus. It was also named for the word coined in a Boston Herald contest for criminals who refused to give up their boozy beverages during Prohibition in the United States, and it is believed to have become popular because it appealed to the expats living in France at the time.

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.

Dry Vermouth: This is a type of wine made with white wine and a blend of herbs and botanicals, which are fermented, fortified with a neutral spirit, and then lightly sweetened to develop a crisp, aromatic flavor.

Lemon Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe lemons that has a sweet, tangy flavor and light yellow color.

Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with pomegranate juice and white sugar, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a deep, sweet-tart flavor.

Orange Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with orange peels, herbs, spices, botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop a slightly bitter citrus flavor.

Lemon Wedge: This a slice of an lemon that has been cut into a wedge shape.

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: Brown-ish red color

• Aroma: Wine, citrus, and whiskey

• Taste: Initial spicy whiskey flavor rounded out with strong vermouth notes and citrus

• Finish: Sweet pomegranate and more spices

Kendall’s Take: “To be honest, I wasn’t very impressed with the Scofflaw. I found its alcoholic flavor to be way too strong even though the drink is quite sweet for a whiskey cocktail. If I made it again, I would have to play around with adjusting the ingredients, but I like so many other recipes more that I don’t think I’ll ever bother to do that.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.