609 replies to this topic

[eje]

But what did you think of the Barton Special?  Or should we assume that when no commentary is given, the commentary is an implicit "meh"?

I just got the Germain-Robin Apple Brandy and was pretty impressed with its flavor.

The Barton tastes pretty much like you would expect a big glass of cold mixed booze (with a twist) to taste. To me, there wasn't any real magic in this particular combo. I thought to tone it down a bit by using a softer gin in the plymouth. But, the flavors in the gin seemed to clash with the other two spirits, creating some bitter aftertastes I didn't enjoy.

There are a few "nothing but booze" mixed drinks in the Savoy. The one which has always amused me is the Bunny Hug. That's made up of Whiskey, Gin, and Absinthe. Ouch. What it did to get that cute name, I have no idea.

[thirtyoneknots]

I think the Bunny Hug was some sort of raunchy dance, which may explain the decadence evident in the mixing.

Maybe it'd be called a 'Bump & Grind' if invented today.

[eje]

I think the Bunny Hug was some sort of raunchy dance, which may explain the decadence evident in the mixing.

Maybe it'd be called a 'Bump & Grind' if invented today.

Oh, indeed!

Bunny Hug on Wikipedia

The Bunny hug was a dancing style performed by young people, especially flappers, in the early 20th century. It is thought to have originated in San Francisco, California in 1911 at the Fairmont Hotel along with the Texas Tommy, Turkey Trot and Grizzly Bear.

Invented at the Fairmont Hotel here in San Francisco, no less!

[eje]

Bass Wyatt Cocktail (5 People)

Beat up 4 (1 XL) Eggs, and add
4 Glasses of Dry Gin (4 oz Tanqueray Gin)
2/3 Glass of Cherry Brandy (2/3 oz Massenez Creme de Griotte)
1/2 Glass Lemon Juice (1/2 oz Lemon Juice)
4 Dashes Orange Bitters (2 Dashes Regan's Orange Bitters)
1/2 Tablespoon of Powdered Sugar (1 teaspoon sugar)
1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Flavouring (Dash Vanilla Extract)

Shake well and strain into medium-size glass. Grate nutmeg on top. Frost glass with castor sugar.

As usual with these "party" cocktails, I'm going with the 2 oz per "glass" theory and then cutting the recipe in half. The drink is actually pretty nice. Sort of an enriched version of a Singapore Gin Sling. I did skip frosting the rim of the glass. I wasn't able to uncover any information about who or what "Bass Wyatt" might have been, but, if you're looking for a change-up from your usual weekend brunch Ramos Gin Fizz, this might be a good place to start.

[eje]

Belmont Cocktail

1/3 Grenadine (3/4 oz Homemade Grenadine)
2/ 3 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Beefeater's Gin)
1 Teaspoonful Fresh Cream

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

I can't say I had much hope for this one. Gin, grenadine, and cream. I think, however, I am again saved by homemade grenadine. I have no doubt I probably wouldn't have enjoyed this cocktail made with Rose's or Fee's Grenadine. However, with my moderately sweet and pretty darn flavorful home made version of grenadine, it's not bad at all. In fact, it's another in the relatively small club of Savoy cocktails with dairy that I actually finished.

[ThinkingBartender]

Re: Bass Wyatt.

That sounds like an interesting drink. I wonder what it would be like with Earl Grey Infused Gin? A Tea Milk Punch?

I was also thinking of Tobacco Infused Rum in a Ramos style drink, I was thinking of a hint of strawberries to go with it.


Re: Belmont.

I didn't think this recipe would be good when I saw it in the book; my only thought was to change the Grenadine to something more assertive, like Raspberry Syrup.

[thirtyoneknots]

It certainly looks like milk punch, but the recipe as printed shows none. I bet it would be good anyway.

Tobacco-infused rum certainly sounds fascinating, but be careful about extracting too much nicotine, which is very poisonous by itself. I remember reading several years ago that a can of snuff contains a lethal dose of nicotine if you extract it correctly. Apparently 1-3 drops of pure or nearly pure stuff will kill within 15 min.

So try it, cos it sounds really neat, but do be careful.

-Andy

[eje]

It certainly looks like milk punch, but the recipe as printed shows none. I bet it would be good anyway.
[...]

Nope, no dairy, just a whole egg.

I was also thinking of Tobacco Infused Rum in a Ramos style drink...

I've read about some chefs experimenting with tobacco as a flavoring. Consuming it, though, can make you ill, especially if you aren't a smoker (or chewer). And, of course, it is poisonous in larger amounts. I think you'd have to be careful that your infusion wasn't too concentrated.

A similar flavor I've started playing with is Rooibos tea (unspiced) from South Africa. First read about it in the Bartender article (Tony Conigliaro) in the Difford's Guide #5.1. The cooked tea definitely has a similar smell to tobacco and, as far as I know, isn't poisonous at all. In fact some folks claim it has health benefits. Most tea recipes for it suggest a good long simmer or steep, so I don't know if you would get much flavor out of a cold infusion.

[eje]

Bennett

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
1/4 Lime Juice (1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice)
3/4 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Tanqueray)
(dash Rich Simple Syrup)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass

I couldn't quite hang with this one without any sweetener at all. But, I kept it to a minimum, so as not to turn it into a Daiquiri. Short, sharp and tart, even with a bit of sweetener, this is a wakeup call of a cocktail. I was feeling fractionally challenged, so went with this size. It was a bit small. Next time I would re-do with 2 1/4 oz (3 3/4 oz portions) of gin and 3/4 ounce lime.

[eje]

Bentley Cocktail

1/2 Calvados, or Apple Brandy (1 1/2 oz Germain-Robin Apple Brandy)
1/2 Dubonnet ( 1 1/2 oz Dubonnet Rouge)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Squeeze orange peel over cocktail - eje)

A fine, if unremarkable, cocktail. Found it a bit more interesting with the addition of orange peel and a dash of orange bitters.

[eje]

Berry Wall Cocktail

1/2 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Junipero Gin)
1/2 Italian Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Carpano Antica)
4 Dashes Curacao (2 barspoons Brizard Orange Curacao)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top.

Here's another cocktail name that has always puzzled me. Googling doesn't turn up much useful. Anyone have any ideas?

Cocktail flavors were quite vibrant; but, not particularly well balanced. The individual tastes were good. Not combining into a single flavor, though. Also, I think I would dial down the Curacao a bit, as it was a tad sweet for my taste.

[Splificator]

Berry Wall Cocktail

1/2 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Junipero Gin)
1/2 Italian Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Carpano Antica)
4 Dashes Curacao (2 barspoons Brizard Orange Curacao)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass.  Squeeze lemon peel on top.

Here's another cocktail name that has always puzzled me.  Googling doesn't turn up much useful.  Anyone have any ideas?

Cocktail flavors were quite vibrant; but, not particularly well balanced.  The individual tastes were good.  Not combining into a single flavor, though.  Also, I think I would dial down the Curacao a bit, as it was a tad sweet for my taste.

Evander Berry Wall was the "King of the Dudes," a ridiculously overdressed New York dandy who was a member of the original Turf Club (q.v.) and knew everybody. He lived to a ripe old age, and published a chatty, utterly charming autobiography, Neither Puritain Nor Pest, in the 1930s. From the teens on, he lived in France.

He rocked.

[eje]

Evander Berry Wall was the "King of the Dudes," a ridiculously overdressed New York dandy who was a member of the original Turf Club (q.v.) and knew everybody. He lived to a ripe old age, and published a chatty, utterly charming autobiography, Neither Puritain Nor Pest, in the 1930s. From the teens on, he lived in France.

He rocked.

Thanks Dave!

I was unclear if it was a person, a location, or an actual wall of berries. Given the ingredients in the drink, the wall of berries idea seemed the least likely. But, you never know!

King of the Dudes, indeed.

[eje]

Between-The-Sheets Cocktail

1 Dash Lemon Juice (about 1/4 Ounce Fresh)
1/3 Brandy (1 oz Germain-Robin Fine Alambic)
1/3 Cointreau (1 oz)
1/3 Bacardi Rum (1 oz Flor de Cana Extra Dry)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass

Now, this, strikes me as a very dangerous cocktail. As the Cointreau, Brandy, and Rum are all 80 proof, this is as deadly as a very dry martini, yet, as sweet as candy.

I could do with a bit more tart and dry than the recipe above. 1/2 oz of Lemon and 3/4 oz Cointreau would probably be more to my taste, yet, hopefully not too close to a Sidecar.

[slkinsey]

Evander Berry Wall was the "King of the Dudes"...

Despite his fondness for White Russians (or, as he called them, "Caucasians") it's clear that we need to come up with a new cocktail to celebrate the modern-day "King of the Dudes," the Big Lebowski.

[ThinkingBartender]

Between-The-Sheets Cocktail

1 Dash Lemon Juice (about 1/4 Ounce Fresh)
1/3 Brandy (1 oz Germain-Robin Fine Alambic)
1/3 Cointreau (1 oz)
1/3 Bacardi Rum (1 oz Flor de Cana Extra Dry)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass

Now, this, strikes me as a very dangerous cocktail.  As the Cointreau, Brandy, and Rum are all 80 proof, this is as deadly as a very dry martini, yet, as sweet as candy.

I could do with a bit more tart and dry than the recipe above.  1/2 oz of Lemon and 3/4 oz Cointreau would probably be more to my taste, yet, hopefully not too close to a Sidecar.

I had always thought that the Between the Sheets was made in the same way as a 2:1:1 Side-car, before I read the Savoy that is.

Perhaps you could compare the Between the Sheets to another of Craddocks inventions, the Kick in the Pants.

one-sixth lime or lemon juice,
one sixth Cointreau,
one-third brandy,
one-third Bacardi rum.

Shake with Ice, and then strain into Cocktail Glass.


Does Regan include the Between the Sheets in any of his books? if so I bet he sticks to his precious 3:2:1 ratio. He seems to mould every drink into that ratio.

[eje]

[...]
Does Regan include the Between the Sheets in any of his books? if so I bet he sticks to his precious 3:2:1 ratio. He seems to mould every drink into that ratio.

In "Joy of Mixology" Gary Regan makes the B-T-S as 1 oz brandy, 1 oz rum, 1 oz triple sec, 3/4 ounce Lemon Juice. He says the recipe is adapted from one in Jones' Complete BarGuide.

In Jones' Complete BarGuide, the B-T-S is made with equal proportions of all ingredients (3/4 ounce).

[birder53]

[...]
Does Regan include the Between the Sheets in any of his books? if so I bet he sticks to his precious 3:2:1 ratio. He seems to mould every drink into that ratio.

In "Joy of Mixology" Gary Regan makes the B-T-S as 1 oz brandy, 1 oz rum, 1 oz triple sec, 3/4 ounce Lemon Juice. He says the recipe is adapted from one in Jones' Complete BarGuide.

In Jones' Complete BarGuide, the B-T-S is made with equal proportions of all ingredients (3/4 ounce).

We use Gary's recipe for this drink. It's a winner! This drink is out of our current rotation because we are out of rum.

[eje]

[...]
Perhaps you could compare the Between the Sheets to another of Craddocks inventions, the Kick in the Pants.

one-sixth lime or lemon juice,
one sixth Cointreau,
one-third brandy,
one-third Bacardi rum.

Shake with Ice, and then strain into Cocktail Glass.
[...]

Pretty close to the ratio I proposed above! Funny.

You could have a Kick in the Pants for an aperitif, and, after dinner, a B-T-S for dessert!

By the way, Cocktaildb gives a pretty different recipe for the "Kick in the Pants". Credits it to a different bartender, too, one B. Joseph.

[ThinkingBartender]

Its a shame that Cocktaildb doesn't give sources or references; it is pretty useless for research purposes in that way.

[eje]

Bich's Special Cocktail

1 Dash Angostura Bitters
1/3 Kina Lillet (1 oz Lillet Blanc)
2/3 Dry Gin (2 oz Beefeater's Gin)

Shake (strain - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top

This one was nice. Using Beefeater's, it really showcases the flavor of Lillet more than any other cocktail I've tried. It is a surprisingly complex cocktail for such simple ingredients.

I need to compound some swedish punch before I can get on with the next cocktail, but, with the holidays, it probably won't be for a week or so. So, I'll see you next year!

[ThinkingBartender]

Is this drink named after the inventor of the Bic pen?

[JerseyRED]

Is this drink named after the inventor of the Bic pen?

I would doubt it as the Bic pen didn't become a rage until the 1950s.

Rich

[birder53]

This one was nice.  Using Beefeater's, it really showcases the flavor of Lillet more than any other cocktail I've tried.  It is a surprisingly complex cocktail for such simple ingredients.

I'm surprised to hear the Beefeater's showcased the Lillet. I would have expected it to overwhelm the Lillet and probably would have selected Plymouth instead. Maybe we'll do a comparison to see how it goes.

[eje]

re: Plymouth and Beefeater

birder53, compared to the Tanqueray I've been playing with lately, both Plymouth and Beefeater's are pretty mild. The thing I like about Beefeater (and Plymouth for that matter) is the smoothness of the distillate. None of the burn of Tanqueray. I thought it worked well in the cocktail. To me it didn't overwhelm the Lillet at all. I'd be interested in hearing what you think if you try it.



Biffy Cocktail

1/4 Lemon Juice (3/4 ounce Lemon Juice)
1/4 Swedish Punch (3/4 ounce homemade)
1/2 Dry Gin (1 1/2 Ounce Plymouth Gin)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Of all the ridiculous things I have done to get the ingredients for Savoy cocktails, this has to be the most extreme. After reading an article on an online blog, I asked a Canadian bartender to ship me bottles of Sri Lankan Arrack at cost. Fortunately, we had previously done a couple other trades for products not available in our respective countries, and he was willing to run out to the local state liquor store, pick it up, and ship it.

I've since turned the Arrack into something I hope resembles Swedish Punsch, a liqueur which involves Arrack, sugar, lemons and tea. No guarantee there; but, the cocktail is pretty tasty and the taste of the liqueur contributes a fairly unique flavor.

[thirtyoneknots]

Huzzah! The Stomp continues!

[eje]

Big Boy Cocktail

1/2 Brandy (1 1/2 oz Korbel VSOP)
1/4 Cointreau (3/4 oz Cointreau)
1/4 Sirop-de-Citron (3/4 oz Homemade Limoncello)
(dash lemon juice)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass

After finding a couple recipes for "Sirop-de-Citron" I realized the procedure for making it is about the same as for limoncello, so, instead of buying a bottle of Monin Lemon Syrup, or making it myself, I subbed in limoncello.

I also couldn't face drinking this without a dash of lemon juice. Still pretty sweet.

[ThinkingBartender]

Big Boy Cocktail

1/2 Brandy (1 1/2 oz Korbel VSOP)
1/4 Cointreau (3/4 oz Cointreau)
1/4 Sirop-de-Citron (3/4 oz Homemade Limoncello)
(dash lemon juice)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass

After finding a couple recipes for "Sirop-de-Citron" I realized the procedure for making it is about the same as for limoncello, so, instead of buying a bottle of Monin Lemon Syrup, or making it myself, I subbed in limoncello.

I also couldn't face drinking this without a dash of lemon juice.  Still pretty sweet.

Any idea why this drink is named "Big Boy"? Is it named after one of the A-bombs that were dropped on Japan?

[eje]

Bijou Cocktail

1/3 Plymouth Gin (1 oz Plymouth Gin)
1 dash Orange Bitters (Bitter Truth Orange Bitters)
1/3 Green Chartreuse (1 oz Green Chartreuse)
1/3 Gancia Italian Vermouth (1 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth)

Mix well with a spoon in a large bar glass; strain into a cocktail glass, add a cherry or an olive, squeeze a piece of lemon peel on top and serve.

The Bijou has been on my list of cocktails to try for a while. It's always exciting to get to a Savoy cocktail I actually want to make!

Tasty; but, a tad on the rich, sweet side for me. When I make it again, I will probably go with 1/2 Gin, 1/4 Chartreuse, 1/4 Vermouth.

[eje]

Any idea why this drink is named "Big Boy"? Is it named after one of the A-bombs that were dropped on Japan?

I thought of that, too, George. But, the Bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was named "Little Boy" (Nagasaki was "Fat Man"). Also, they weren't dropped until 1945.