I decided to start this new thread after some discussions with mkayahara (thanks Matt for the inspiration!). The question of ratios for the Brooklyn came up. It became apparent that there were very different recipes floating around.
I first encountered this cocktail in Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails (I have the 2009 edition). It is essentially a dry Manhattan with a touch of Picon and maraschino liqueur.
Ted Haigh's Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails
2 oz rye
3/4 oz dry vermouth
2 tsp [~1/3 oz] Amer Picon
2 tsp [~1/3 oz] maraschino
The version in the Savoy Cocktail Book has a 2:1 rye to vermouth ratio similar to Ted Haigh, but less Picon & maraschino.
Savoy Cocktail Book (1930)
2/3 Canadian Club whisky
1/3 dry vermouth
1 dash Amer Picon
1 dash maraschino
Doing more digging there is Joseph Straub version (the original) with a 1:1 rye to dry vermouth ratio.
Joseph Straub (1914)
3/4 oz rye
3/4 oz dry vermouth
1 dash Amer Picon
1 dash maraschino
The modern versions seem to tweak the balance quite a bit. For example the version in diffords.com reduces the amount of dry vermouth (3:1).
Diffords
1 1/2 oz rye
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz Amer Picon
1/4 oz maraschino
To make things more confusing, Martin Doudoroff and Ted Haigh's cocktaildb.com has two versions. One under Brooklyn which is identical to the Savoy version, and another one under Brooklyn Cocktail which is identical to Diffords.
Then, lastly, there is the version I've been using recently. That one drastically reduces the dry vermouth (8:1 rye to vermouth ratio) and clearly puts the emphasis on the Picon.
Bartender's Choice App
2 oz rye
1/4 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz Amer Picon
1/4 oz maraschino
One variable is the type of Picon that you use. Picon is a bitter apperitif made from orange zest, cinchona (quinine) and gentian. There is Picon Bière, Amer Picon (harder to track down), vintage Amer Picon (even harder to find), Amer Boudreau, Amère Nouvelle, Torani Amer, Amaro CioCiaro, etc. For example Ted Haigh says to substitute Torani Amer for the Picon. For my experiments I am using Picon Bière because that is what I have access to. But I am counting on Matt to report on his work with Amère Nouvelle and Amer Boudreau...
to be continued...
