Whiskey · Classic · Sour
Diamondback Recipe
Three Prohibition-era spirits, one stirred glass — rye, apple brandy and herbal Chartreuse, with zero apologies for the kick. Applejack's tart orchard snap keeps this rye-and-Chartreuse pour from turning cloying, so despite its spirit-forward strength it drinks bright rather than heavy — best sipped slowly after a hearty meal or by a fire.
- Prep Time
- 1.5 min
- Method
- Stirred
- Glass
- Nick & Nora glass
- Strength
- Strong
Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.
Last updated October 20, 2026
About the Diamondback
The Diamondback takes its name from the Diamondback Lounge, the bar inside Baltimore's Lord Baltimore Hotel, where it was served in the years after Prohibition's repeal. It first appeared in print in Ted Saucier's 1951 cocktail book Bottoms Up, which credits the lounge — itself named for Maryland's native diamondback terrapin — as the drink's home. Saucier's original called for shaking the three spirits with mint and serving over cracked ice; the modern version served today is stirred and strained up, letting rye, applejack and yellow Chartreuse show clearly without extra dilution or bruising.
The Diamondback holds to a firm 2:1:1 ratio — 1.5 oz rye whiskey to 0.75 oz applejack to 0.75 oz yellow Chartreuse — which is what keeps it from tipping into straight apple-brandy or straight herbal-liqueur territory. It's the same structural logic as a Manhattan's 2:1 whiskey-to-vermouth backbone, except here the modifying quarter is split evenly between two assertive components instead of concentrated in one, so rye leads the glass but never dominates outright.
Ingredients
- Rye whiskey1 ½ oz
- Applejack (apple brandy)¾ oz
- Yellow Chartreuse¾ oz
Method
- Measure and pour the rye whiskey, applejack and yellow Chartreuse into the mixing glass.
- Add a scoop of ice to the mixing glass.
- Stir for 30 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe glass.
- Skewer a maraschino cherry onto a cocktail pick.
- Place the skewered cherry into the glass.
Glass & Garnish
Nick & Nora glass, chilled and served up. Garnish with a skewered cocktail cherry.
Notes
Rittenhouse Rye and Laird's Straight Applejack (Bonded) are the benchmark bottles for this recipe; a softer, lower-proof rye tends to get lost between the applejack and the Chartreuse. Serve it very cold straight up — this is a spirit-forward sipper, not a refresher, so skip extra ice in the glass.
Tools Used
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FAQ
- Can I batch the Diamondback for a party?
- Yes — multiply the 2:1:1 ratio of rye, applejack and yellow Chartreuse by your guest count and stir the full batch with ice in a pitcher ahead of time. Strain individual servings into chilled glasses as guests arrive rather than pre-diluting the batch, since stirring to order controls each drink's chill and dilution more precisely.
- What can I use instead of applejack?
- Calvados or another quality apple brandy substitutes cleanly, since it's the same category of spirit and several authoritative recipes list them interchangeably. Avoid sweetened apple liqueurs or apple schnapps — they lack the dry, spirit-forward backbone applejack provides and will push the finished drink too sweet and thin.
- Does the Diamondback need a specific rye whiskey?
- A higher-proof straight rye, around 100 proof, holds its own best against the applejack and Chartreuse, since a softer, lower-proof whiskey gets overpowered by the other two assertive ingredients. Rittenhouse Rye is the benchmark bottle most commonly cited for exactly this reason.
- Are there variations on the Diamondback?
- Yes — some bartenders swap in green Chartreuse for a drier, more intensely herbal result, and Ted Saucier's original 1951 version was shaken with mint and served over cracked ice rather than stirred and strained up. Both are worth trying if the modern stirred version feels too austere.
- What's the right garnish for a Diamondback?
- A single maraschino cherry, threaded on a cocktail pick and dropped into the glass after straining, is the standard modern garnish. It's a quiet finishing touch rather than a showpiece, in keeping with the drink's simple three-ingredient build.
- Where does the Diamondback cocktail come from?
- It's named for the Diamondback Lounge at Baltimore's Lord Baltimore Hotel, where it was served after Prohibition's repeal, and it first appeared in print in Ted Saucier's 1951 book Bottoms Up. The lounge itself was named for Maryland's native diamondback terrapin.
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