SERVES 1

This recipe is adapted from Imbibe!: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to "Professor" Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar (Perigee, 2007) by David Wondrich. The "Professor" Jerry Thomas himself once called this drink "a capital punch for a cold night." We couldn't agree more.

1 tsp. demerara or turbinado sugar
1 half slice of lemon
1 oz. Irish whiskey, preferably pot-stilled
1 oz. Scotch whisky, preferably pot-stilled

1. Rinse a heavy-duty old-fashioned glass with hot water, then add sugar, lemon, and 1⁄2 cup boiling water. Add whiskeys and stir with a toddy stick. Serve immediately.