Preakness

Quantity, mostly. Both build on rye, sweet vermouth and Bénédictine, but the Louisiane pours 22 ml of the liqueur and adds an absinthe rinse, which makes it a herbal drink with whiskey in it. Eight ml keeps this one firmly a Manhattan, just with a longer and sweeter tail.

You get a Manhattan. That is no insult, but it does mean the 8 ml is the entire reason to make this version instead. If you are short of the bottle, resist stretching it with honey syrup. The dried herbs are the point and honey delivers only the sugar.

Something with weight to it. Carpano Antica brings vanilla and enough body to sit beside the Bénédictine without vanishing. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino is lighter and cleaner and also works well. Punt e Mes adds bitterness that argues with the honey, so reach for it only if you want the drink noticeably drier.

Sweet vermouth. Go to 15 ml of Bénédictine and pull the vermouth back to 15 as well, or the two sugars stack and honey arrives before the rye does. You want the bigger, drier rye at that point too, something bottled at 50 percent. Past 22 ml you are making a De La Louisiane without the absinthe.

A classic Preakness calls for 60 ml (2 oz) Rye whiskey, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Sweet vermouth, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Bénédictine, 2 dashes Angostura Angostura bitters. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Preakness is roughly 37% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

A Preakness is shaken. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.