The Rattlesnake is one of those cocktails that sounds like it should be a shot served in a dive bar, but it’s actually a sophisticated pre-Prohibition era drink that shows up in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book from 1930. The name apparently comes from the effect — something about the way the absinthe and the whiskey combine that makes you feel like you’ve been rattled around a little. I can neither confirm nor deny this.
What it actually is, once you get past the name, is a whiskey sour with absinthe and egg white — a combination that sounds like it shouldn’t work and very much does. The absinthe doesn’t dominate the drink. It adds a subtle anise backdrop that makes the whole thing more interesting, like a flavor you can’t quite identify that makes you want to take another sip to figure it out.
It’s not a drink for everyone, and I’ll say that upfront. If you have strong feelings about anise or licorice, this might not be your cocktail. But if you’re curious and open-minded about what a little absinthe can do in a sour, this is a good place to find out.
Old Forester 100 — The Right Proof for This Job
Old Forester 100 Proof is a bourbon that doesn’t get enough attention. It’s made by Brown-Forman in Louisville, Kentucky — one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in the country — and the 100 proof bottling is a step up from the standard 86 proof expression that gives you more presence and a better foundation for a cocktail with this much going on.
The flavor profile leans toward dark fruit, baking spice, and a little oak. That spice plays well against the absinthe and keeps the drink from tipping too sweet. At 100 proof it holds up to the shaking and the egg white and still shows up in the glass.
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style is the premium option here — higher proof, more intensity, a genuinely excellent cocktail bourbon. On the budget end, Old Forester 86 works fine, just a little less presence.
About the Absinthe
The recipe calls for a small amount of absinthe — half an ounce — and that’s not a typo. Half an ounce of absinthe in a cocktail sounds like a lot until you taste the finished drink and realize it’s providing an aromatic backbone rather than flavor domination. The anise sits underneath everything else, lending complexity without announcing itself.
Use a real absinthe, not an anise-flavored substitute. Pernod Absinthe is widely available and works well here. Lucid is another solid choice. Absinthe that’s properly made has a herbal complexity that simple anise liqueurs don’t replicate.
The Dry Shake Again
Same as the Whiskey Sour and the New York Sour — if you’re using egg white, dry shake first. Everything in the shaker with no ice for fifteen seconds to build the foam structure, then add ice and shake again to chill it down. The foam cap in a Rattlesnake is particularly important because it’s where the absinthe aroma rises and meets your nose on the first sip. Get the foam right and the drink delivers exactly what it’s supposed to.
