How To Make A Scofflaw

If you could create a name for drinkers who don’t care about laws, what would it be? The winner of a 1923 contest of that very nature happened to be “scofflaw” — since then, it’s become the name for an iconic rye cocktail.

The Scofflaw can be compared to a pomegranate and whiskey Cosmopolitan. The shaken rye-based cocktail was first developed by a bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris during Prohibition, who settled upon the tongue-in-cheek name when mixing up the drink for American visitors.

High-quality ingredients are essential to perfecting the Scofflaw. Fresh citrus, an orange twist, and pomegranate juice tie together the complex flavors of this cocktail. Different expressions of rye whiskey offer varying levels of sweetness, while the fresh citrus component can be adjusted to taste.

Juicing a pomegranate by hand is an unnecessary waste of time and resources, while pre-packaged, syrupy grenadine works fine in a pinch. However, the best option is to opt for the POM brand of juice and create a 1:1 simple syrup. The type of vermouth doesn’t matter as greatly, as long as you’re using dry, but Dolin Blanc is ideal.

Scofflaw Ingredients

  • 2 ounces rye whiskey
  • ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ ounce grenadine, homemade or high quality
  • ¾ ounces dry vermouth, such as Dolin Blanc
  • Garnish: orange twist

Scofflaw Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Shake until cold and double strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  3. Express an orange twist over the cocktail and drop in the drink as a garnish.

Rate This Recipe:

(50 votes)

Yield: 1
Calories: 259
Updated: 2022-09-16

Listen To Our Cocktail College Scofflaw Podcast 

Grenadine Ingredients

  • 1 cup POM pomegranate juice
  • 1 cup granulated or brown sugar

Grenadine Directions

  1. Combine the pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan.
  2. Heat the mixture over medium-low flame until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Remove from heat once the sides of the pan start to simmer.
  4. Allow to cool before mixing in a cocktail or storing in a glass bottle for up to a month.

Scofflaw Recipe Video