This Wild West themed treasure hunt deserves a fitting toast with something a bit more refined than the “rotgut” you might find at a typical saloon back in those days, when establishments would make their own whiskey in house, and quality wasn’t always on the menu. A fine rye whiskey is in order here. This classic drink is a whiskey sour, a guilty pleasure and most excellent way to enjoy such spirit, when made well, although I doubt many prospectors bothered with anything so fancy.

The Rattlesnake cocktail may well date back to the time of Jacob Walz’s lost goldmine or nearabout. It was first featured in Harry Craddock’s Savoy Cocktail Book, 1930, which granted is about 50 years later, but who knows how long it may have been kicking around the Wild West before Craddock set it down on paper. At the Savoy, you would have been served a potent bowl meant for six, with the warning that it was “So called because it either cure Rattlesnake bite, or kill Rattlesnakes, or make you see them.” What sets this drink apart from the crowd is the absinthe, present in a small dose just enough to make you notice. Modern day bar manager Will Elliott has updated the classic with this recipe, in which he ensures the absinthe is not lost by adding a spritz and serving it in a snifter, which forces you to nose the aroma. Don’t be rattled, though, it’s delicious. Cheers!

Rattlesnake c. 1930 adapted by Will Elliott

1 ¾ oz rye whiskey

¾ oz lemon

½ oz Demerara simple syrup

¼ oz absinthe

egg white

Shake with ice until chilled and foamy and strain into a snifter. Add a few more drops of absinthe or spritz with an atomizer. Trace a snake pattern in Angostura bitters on the foam for garnish.

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