Right Hand
A dark, spirit-forward cocktail of rum, Campari and sweet vermouth, spiced with chocolate bitters and orange oil.
Ingredients
- Dark rum, aged Jamaican or Demerara rum45 ml
- Campari22.5 ml
- Sweet vermouth22.5 ml
- Chocolate bitters2 dashes
- Orange, to garnish (optional)1 strip
Method
- Fill a mixing glass with plenty of ice cubes.
- Add the rum, Campari, sweet vermouth and chocolate bitters.
- Stir calmly but thoroughly for 20–30 seconds, until cold and properly diluted.
- Strain into a rocks glass over one large ice cube or a piece of block ice.
- Express the oils from a strip of orange peel over the drink and drop the peel in as a garnish.
Michael McIlroy, Milk & Honey, New York (2007)
About this drink
The Right Hand was created by Michael McIlroy at Milk & Honey in New York: a Boulevardier-style drink with aged rum in place of whiskey. The chocolate bitters give it its spiced depth, and it has become a modern classic in the world's best bars.
Questions and answers
What kind of drink is the Right Hand?
A relative of the Boulevardier with aged rum instead of bourbon, which gives it a sweeter, more molasses-rich depth than the classic whiskey version.
What happens if I use bourbon instead of rum in a Right Hand?
Then you are really making a Left Hand, Sam Ross's bourbon sibling, or a Boulevardier. The rum is what sets the Right Hand apart from its whiskey-based sisters.
