This past weekend Becky and I took a trip to Savannah, Georgia to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary. In addition to visiting several notable historic sites we used the vacation to eat and drink our way through Savannah. During dinner at Local 11 ten (review forthcoming) I was introduced to the Scofflaw. It was billed as a Prohibition Era rye based cocktail with a splash of lemon juice and a dash of grenadine. It looked intriguing, and I decided to sample one while looking over the menu. The reddish-brown concoction was delicious, and I knew I had to add it to my cocktail repertoire when I got home.
Tonight I whipped up a Scofflaw for our friend Angie who was in town from Atlanta. She enjoyed it and as she drained her glass asked for another. The recipe I followed produced a redder and sweeter cocktail than the one I had at Local 11 ten. I attribute this to the amount of grenadine called for in the recipe I used. For those wanting a less sweet version of the cocktail, cut back the grenadine to your liking.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 ozs rye whiskey
1 oz dry vermouth
3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
3/4 oz grenadine
Dash angostura orange bitters
1 lemon twist
Fill a cocktail shaker 1/2 full of ice and pour the first four ingredients into the shaker. Shake until well chilled, about twenty seconds. Strain and serve with the lemon twist.
Sweet Tea & Bourbon 
Mike, that sounds a lot like an “Old Fashioned”….
John Clark
I had both while in Savannah! The two are similar in that they are whiskey based cocktails. The old fashioned, however, starts with a sugar cube (or simple syrup) and does not have any dry vermouth. It is also garnished with oranges and a cherry. Both are delicious!
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This sounded interesting and I happened to have all the ingredients at home so I gave the recipe a try. VERY good. Similar to an Old Fashioned, but I (and my wife) like it much better. I may cut back on the grenadine (as you suggest) to make it a little less sweet. This may become a new favorite (and a regular on my home bar list). Thanks for sharing this, Mike.
Glad you enjoyed it Rick! The next time I made this cocktail I did scale back on the grenadine to let the rye shine through. It was very nice, and it is currently my go to drink.