Ingredients

2 ozrye whiskey
60 ml
¾ ozfresh lemon juice
22 ml
¾ ozfresh orange juice
22 ml
1 tspgrenadine
5 ml

Instructions

Combine rye whiskey, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, and grenadine in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry. The Ward Eight is a pre-Prohibition whiskey sour variant with a beautiful sunset color from the grenadine.

Sips & Tips

Technique

Use fresh-squeezed orange juice — it provides natural sweetness that works with the grenadine. The grenadine is used sparingly (just a teaspoon) for color and a hint of pomegranate sweetness. Shake hard to integrate the two citrus juices with the whiskey.

Balance

The combination of lemon and orange juice creates a more complex citrus profile than either alone. Use a spicy rye like Rittenhouse to cut through the fruit. The grenadine should be real pomegranate grenadine (like Jack Rudy or homemade), not the neon-red bar syrup — it makes a huge difference in flavor.

History

The Ward Eight was allegedly created in 1898 at the Locke-Ober restaurant in Boston to celebrate the election of Martin Lomasney from Boston's Ward 8 district. It's one of the oldest American cocktails with a specific origin story, though historians debate whether the tale is apocryphal. Either way, it's a delicious piece of Boston cocktail history.

The Ward Eight is a forgotten classic that deserves revival — it's a whiskey sour with more depth and a gorgeous sunset color. Boston's gift to the cocktail world. Cheers.

Variations

Ward Eight with Bourbon

Substitute bourbon for rye. The bourbon's sweetness pairs well with the orange juice and grenadine, creating a rounder, more approachable version of the drink.