Pen Pal

Pen Pal by Gal Karni

I’ll toast my pen pal’s pen with this perfect potion, the Pen Pal, created by Gal Karni of Barmini in Washington, D.C.  The Pen Pal is a wonderful variation of the classic Old Pal, which in turn is a well known variation of the beloved Negroni.  If you’ve read my blog a few times before you’ll have come across innumerable Negronis, and that’s unlikely to change!  The Old Pal traces its origins to 1927 and the friendship between Paris based sportswriter William “Sparrow” Robinson and Harry McElhone, the famed proprietor at Harry’s New York Bar.  Harry’s in Paris was the place to be and imbibe for expats during prohibition in America.   McElhone recounts the tales of his friends in his book, “Barflies and Cocktails”, where we learn that Robinson liked to call every “My Old Pal”.  He loved the combination of rye, dry vermouth and Campari that Harry would fix for him, and the drink became legend.  Perhaps they both would have enjoyed this new version, which doubles the rye and smooths out the Campari bitter with its mellower cousin Aperol.  Here’s to you, My Old Pal, and thanks for the pen!  Cheers!

This pair is stu-pen-dous

Pen Pal by Gal Karni

1 ½ oz rye whiskey

¾ oz dry vermouth

¾ oz Aperol

Stir ingredients over ice and strain into a favorite glass.  Lemon twist or lemon koala garnish.  Sip pen-sively.