The Ward Eight
The Ward Eight: Boston's Classic Cocktail
The Ward Eight came out of Boston in the late 1890s, though the exact origin story has more holes than facts. The most popular version claims it was created at Locke-Ober Café to celebrate political boss Martin Lomasney's electoral success in Boston's Ward Eight. The problem is that details don't quite line up - some sources say 1898, others 1903, and Lomasney was a known teetotaler who probably never drank the thing.
What's certain is the drink existed and became popular in Boston before Prohibition. It appeared in print in Robert Vermeire's 1922 book "Cocktails: How to Mix Them" and various other early cocktail guides. The Santa Clara Company even filed a trademark for "Ward 8" in the early 1900s, listing ingredients as whiskey, lime, grenadine, and sugar syrup.
The recipe has evolved over time with countless variations. The most common modern version uses rye whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice, and grenadine. Rye is traditional and important - its spicy bite balances the sweet citrus in a way bourbon can't match.
The standard recipe calls for two ounces rye, half an ounce lemon juice, half an ounce orange juice, and a quarter to half ounce of grenadine depending on how sweet you want it. Real grenadine made from pomegranates is essential here - that bright red corn syrup stuff from the grocery store will ruin it.
Making it is simple. Combine everything in a shaker with ice, shake hard for fifteen seconds, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry if you want.
The Ward Eight is essentially a Whiskey Sour with orange juice and grenadine replacing simple syrup. It's tart and refreshing with just enough sweetness to balance the citrus. The orange adds a rounder, softer note that complements the sharp lemon.
What makes this drink special is how well those flavors work together. The rye's spice, the tartness of lemon, the sweetness of orange, and the floral notes from grenadine create something more complex than you'd expect from such a simple recipe.
The Ward Eight might not be as famous as the Manhattan or Sazerac, but it's Boston's contribution to classic American cocktails and it deserves more attention than it gets.
RECIPE:
2 oz bourbon
¾ oz lemon juice
½ oz orange juice
½ oz grenadine
Method:
Shake all ingredients with ice.
Strain into a chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass.