Harry MacElhone (the Harry of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris) credited his “old pal,” journalist William “Sparrow” Robertson, with the inspiration for this drink. As the sports editor for the New York Herald in Paris, Robertson frequented the New York Bar enough for Harry to mention him in his 1922 ABC of Mixing Cocktails.

The Old Pal is essentially a Boulevardier, another Harry’s classic, but drier thanks to the mix of rye and Campari, with dry vermouth in the place of sweet. The Old Pal is also considered a cousin of the Negroni; swap the rye for gin, and the dry vermouth for … Eh, it’s Old Pal, dammit. I found it Manhattan-like only more bitter. In fact, maybe I’ll just rename it to “Bitter Old Man” or “Grumpy Old Man;” my bride supports this proposition.

As this drink is itself a riff on others, feel free to change up the elements and see what you like. There are other more- or less-bittered red Italian aperitifs you may plug in for the Campari, and I might try a blanco vermouth (Dolin or Comoz Vermouth de Chambery, for example) instead of the dry vermouth. And in lieu of the cherry garnish, a twist of lemon or orange peel could work, but given the strong bitter notes from the Campari, a sweet touch helps balance the drink.

OLD PAL
Equal parts (let’s say 1 oz each) of:
Rye whiskey
Campari
Dry vermouth (Vya is my go-to)

Stir with ice until well chilled, strain into a chilled Martini glass or coupe, and garnish with a Luxardo Maraschino cherry or two.