The Mean Fiddler

A bold modern Irish whiskey cocktail created by Jack McGarry at Dead Rabbit (NYC, 2015). Builds on big flavors — peaty Islay Scotch, green Chartreuse, Campari, sweet vermouth, Angostura bitters, and cinnamon syrup — over a smooth Irish whiskey base, stirred and served up in a Nick & Nora glass with expressed lemon oil.

smart_display Published 2026-03-06 download Extracted 2026-05-06

5m Prep

5m Total

1 Servings

cocktail irish-whiskey scotch stirred classic dead-rabbit nick-and-nora boozy modern-classic

Ingredients

1 oz Redbreast 12 year Irish Whiskey
0.5 oz Laphroaig 10 year Islay Scotch (peated)
0.75 oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino (sweet vermouth)
0.75 oz Green Chartreuse
0.5 oz Campari
2 dashes Angostura bitters
5 ml Cinnamon syrup (1 barspoon; see homemade recipe in tips)
1 piece Lemon peel (expressed for oil and used as garnish) optional

Steps

1

Add 1 oz Irish whiskey to a mixing glass.

Tip: No more, no less — the Irish whiskey plays a supporting role here.
2

Add 1/2 oz Islay (peated) Scotch.
3

Add 3/4 oz sweet vermouth.

Tip: A richer sweet vermouth (e.g. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino) holds up best against the bigger flavors.
4

Add 3/4 oz green Chartreuse.
5

Add 1/2 oz Campari.
6

Add 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
7

Add 1 barspoon (~5 ml) of cinnamon syrup.

Tip: Bar spoons vary in size — measure to ~5 ml so the sweetness doesn't get out of balance.
8

Add ice to the mixing glass and stir until well chilled and properly diluted.

~1 min
9

Strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

Tip: A julep strainer works well for stirred drinks served up.
10

Express the oil from a lemon peel over the surface of the drink, then drop the peel in (or clip as garnish).

Tip: Bartenders take liberties with garnish on this drink — no garnish, cherry, lemon, or orange all appear in the wild.
11

Homemade cinnamon syrup: Over low heat, dissolve 1.5 cups granulated sugar in 1 cup water (do not boil). Add 4 cracked cinnamon sticks and bring up to a simmer. Remove from heat and steep 6-12 hours. Strain off cinnamon and store in the fridge.

Tip: Cracking the cinnamon sticks (rather than leaving them whole) extracts more flavor during the long steep.

Nutrition (per serving)

230

Calories

14g

Carbs

Cultural Context

The Mean Fiddler was created in 2015 by Jack McGarry at the Dead Rabbit in New York City — a bar widely regarded as one of the most influential of the modern cocktail era. The drink is unusual because despite combining a long list of assertive ingredients (peaty Scotch, green Chartreuse, Campari, sweet vermouth, Angostura, cinnamon syrup) over a delicate Irish whiskey base, virtually every published version uses identical specs — a rarity in cocktail culture, where bartenders typically tweak recipes. The Irish whiskey plays a supporting, tying role rather than a leading one, similar to how cognac is sometimes used in classic cocktails. Bartenders most often vary the garnish (no garnish, cherry, lemon, or orange).