Who doesn’t love a classic daiquiri? And I’m not talking the coconut milkshakes you get at an all-inclusive resort. I mean the original daiquiri, the simple rum, sugar, and lime juice cocktail that helped Hemingway win a Pulitzer. I, for one, really enjoy them, but only when the temperature outside is above 60 and preferably by an ocean. What to do then during these bitter winter months? I recommend turning to another sour cocktail that can help ease you into spring.

The Junior, a whiskey sour (of sorts), was supposedly first chronicled by a Broadway press agent named Murdock Pemberton and published in a 1937 issue of Esquire. We have cocktail historian David Wondrich to thank for bringing it into this century. A base of rye whiskey maintains a deeper profile, even with the tartness of the lime juice, while the use of Benedictine gives the whole thing a richly honeyed edge. The licorice in the Benedictine and the bitters also add some welcome complexity. Like most sours and daiquiris, it’s still more of a warm weather cocktail, but, as of this writing, who knows when we’ll get to go on vacation again? The Junior may just be the best way to bring the beach to your living room this winter.

Junior
2 oz. rye whiskey (100 proof)
.75 oz. lime juice
.5 oz. Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe. Tiny umbrella optional.