evo-lution

Hence why I wrote this :- It absolutely depends on the type of bar. The other thing I forgot to add was that service is a two-way thing, if you don't specify to the bartender/server exactly what it is you're after then you can have no complaints if your drink isn't made to your requirements.

Nail. On. Head. If you're making someone a cup of tea or coffee in your home, you'd go to the bother of asking how they like it, so why wouldn't you do the same with a cocktail that someone is paying for?!? The vast majority of drinks have ingredients where the slightest tweak makes for a completely different drink. I've always asked guests how they like their drinks, and always train bartenders to try and make drinks that are suited to the palate of their guest. I appreciate that some bars just don't have the time to ask for every drink, but common sense prevails methinks. I've more respect for bartenders that take the time to ask if I'd like brown or white sugar in my Mojito, salt on my Margarita, or which rum I'd like in my Daiquiri. Even simple things like asking if I'd like a lime with my Dos Equis instead of just jamming it in there. As for a litmus test drink, I'd suggest a 'sour' drink (e.g Whiskey Sour, Tom Collins). This will give you an idea of whether or not the bartender has a good understanding of balance, which is key every drink! Something as simple as a Cuba Libre would also be good because the bartender, IMO, should ask how much coke and lime you'd like in it, again catering to personal taste. If they respond with, "a Cuba what?!?" you know you should find yourself another bar to drink at. Failing that, just ask the bartender to make you what they think is their 'speciality' cocktail (the drink they think they make the best).

There are a good few 'honey/sweetened' scotch liqueurs on the market over here. I'd be willing to send some miniatures over to the States, but every time I've sent liquor over in the past it's been sent back to me. If anyone has any ideas... Here's a few examples :- Cock O' The North Stag's Breath Glayva

Just a thought, but I'm assuming that they would've stored some ingredients in 'dasher' bottles (like bitter bottles). Do we have any idea what sort of bottles these would have been?

I've just received a bottle of AOB in the post (courtesy of Mickael Perron). I've yet to try them in drinks but hope to do so in the next few days. Having tried a dash of it on it's own, they have an initial sweetness (similar to that of Cointreau), followed by a long finish of Cardamom and another spice that I can't put my finger on right now?!? They are exactly what you'd want/expect from a bottle of orange bitters, the sweetness and 'tang' of orange followed by a long bitter finish. I think the Cardamom will work well with any liquor that has pronounced Vanilla flavours (Sailor Jerry for example), as Cardamom and Vanilla work really well together. Rum Old-Fashioned with Sailor Jerry and AOB anyone? Ciao, Adam

I'd agree with your sentiments. It would surely make more sense to separate the bitters between 'potable' (Campari, Becherovka, etc.) and 'non-potable' (Angostura, Peychauds, etc.). I suppose that they all have the qualities you'd expect of a bitters though, so listing them together makes some sense... Christopher?!?

Would you be including the likes of Jagermeister, Campari, Becherovka, etc. in that list? There's a list on Wikipedia although I'm not sure if it's complete?!?

Yip. Lemonade in the UK is basically 7-Up

Ah, glad to see you got a chance to visit MP. Great bar!

Hello all, Just wondering whether or not there are an agreed amount of cocktail families?!? The reason I ask is because i've heard people say that there are 7/9/10/11/13/15 families. I would define a 'family' by saying they are the groups from which every mixed drink has evolved from. Discuss

"An Old Formula for An Old-Fashioned Drink. The following recipe for mulled wine was written by Leo Engel, American bartender at the old Criterion, in London: To make good mulled wine, just allow me to say- Nine eggs you must break and then do not delay. But into a bowl let the whites all be dropped, Whilst all of the yolks in another are popped. With a switch let the whites be beaten about Until like the froth of the sea they come out; To the yolks then attend, and beat them also, And at them three spoonfuls of sugar just throw. Now into a skillet its quite time to pour Of some recognised brand a bottle or more; And if of your head you may have any fear, Add one pint of water and mind it is clear. The water and wine must be kept on the fire Till they reach the boiling heat you require; Then the yolks and the whites please beat as before. A half pint of water o'er them gently pour. Mix all well together until they combine And then turn them into the skillet of wine; Stir about briskly and pour in a pitcher And grated nutmeg, 'twill make it much richer, Drink it off hot, and i'll bet any odds You'll own it's a drink that is fit for the gods." FIRST, my dear madam, you must take Nine eggs, which carefully you'll break- Into a bowl you'll drop the white, The yolks into another by it. Let Betsy beat the whites with switch, Till they appear quite frothed and rich - Another hand the yolks must beat With sugar, which will make them sweet; Three or four spoonfuls maybe'll do, Though some, perhaps, would take but two. Into a skillet next you'll pour A bottle of good wine, or more - Put half a pint of water, too, Or may it prove too strong for you; And while the eggs (by two) are beating, The wine and water may be heating; But when it comes to boiling heat, The yolks and whites together beat With half a pint of water more - Mixing them well, then gently pour Into the skillet with all the wine, And stir it briskly all the time. Then pour it off into a pitcher; Grate nutmeg in to make it richer. Then drink it hot, for he's a fool, Who lets such precious liquor cool.

______________________________________ "The Pousse Cafe is and always was intended as an after-dinner luxury for people who liked cordials. It may be served in a one ounce cordial glass or in a long beer glass" ______________________________________ "French cordials are the best to use. All above have a distinct flavor and are good. Never Port wine. Red Parfait d'Amour and red raspberry sirup cannot be used together. If no Parfait d'Amour on hand then use red raspberry syrup for heaviest cordial. "Never use Creme de Menthe as its peppermint flavor dominates every other liquor in any bar. You cannot taste anything but peppermint even if but one drop is used." ______________________________________ Pousse Cafe Creme Cocoa 1/4 glass of Benedictine 1/4 glass of Anisette 1/2 glass of Martell Brandy ______________________________________ Blanche Cocktail One-third Cointreau One-third Anisette One-third white Curacao ______________________________________ Knickerbein Use sherry-wine glass One-third raspberry cordial One yolk of an egg Cover egg with Benedictine One-third glass Kummel Six drops of Angostura Bitters Prepare this drink as you would when making a Pousse Cafe so that the colors will keep separate ______________________________________ "(The reference is to the drink known as the "Knickerbein" discussed some time ago in this column. It is made in the manner of a pousse-cafe, with Benedictine, Maraschino, Kummel and brandy poured in carefully, so as not to allow the ingredients to mix. The egg yolk must be slipped in with a spoon held in a steady hand. - Ed.)" ______________________________________ "cafes and bars in Berlin. There a 'Knickebein,' served in a small, bowl-shaped glass, is simply rose liqueur poured over the intact yolk of an egg" ______________________________________ Rainbow Plus 1/8 Glass of grenadine 1/8 Glass of Anisette M.B. 1/8 Glass of Perfect Love 1/8 Glass of Green Menthe 1/8 Glass of Curacao 1/8 Glass of Yellow Chartreuse 1/8 Glass of Green Chartreuse 1/8 Glass of Jamaica Rum Burn upon serving ______________________________________ Princess Cocktail Three-fourths apricot brandy, one fourth sweet cream. ______________________________________ "The so-called French pousse-cafe is made of six equal parts os maraschino, raspberry, sirup, vanilla, curacao, chartreuse and brandy. The New Orleans variety is made with one-quarter each of brandy, maraschino, curacao and Jamaica rum. And there is a 'Parisian' one made with one-third each of maraschino, kirsch and chartreuse." ______________________________________ "little drink of French brandy - a little rest - then a sip of Danzig Goldwasser - next of Green Chartreuse - rest again, and then the Yellow Chartreuse. "Take it easy now - each cordial is grand - now a sip of orange curacao, then Blue Crme Yvette, then of White Maraschino and last comes Perfect love or Red Parfait d'Amour." ______________________________________ Smile Cocktail One-third Creme de Cassis One-third Swedish punch One-third Cointreau. ______________________________________ "'Three Trees,' writes a Trailer. Here it is, but it is not a cocktail. It is similar to a Pousse Cafe. 1-3 Green Creme de Menthe 1-3 White Creme de Menthe 1-3 Ruby Creme de Menthe Do not let the ingredients mix." ______________________________________ A Maidens Kiss 1-5 of Maraschino in a sherry glass. 1-5 of Creme de Roses 1-5 of Curacao (white) 1-5 of Chartreuse (yellow) 1-5 of Benedictine, each separate. ______________________________________ And that's all the cuttings i've found so far! S'laters, Adam

I sent an e-mail to Wondrich/Haigh/DeGroff/Hess to see if they could shine any light and got the following sent back to me from 'Splificator':-

Bear with me on this, i'm sure you'll find some interest in it. I have some curiousities with regards to the copy of the 'The Bon Vivant's Companion or How To Mix Drinks' I now own. I recently received the above book as a birthday gift from my girlfriend, and wondered if anyone could help shed light on some of the content in this book. It arrived with 20+ 'newspaper' cuttings, stuck on various pages in the book, as well as various 'ticks' and words written in pencil. I am trying to ascertain/understand where the cuttings are from and hope that someone will be able to help me. ____________________________________________________________________ First off, there is a piece of paper on the inside cover of the book, which bears the following crest above a coat of arms. Underneath this picture is the name 'ROBERT ALEXANDER MONTGOMERY'. ('Garde Bien' translates as 'Watch Well'). Secondly, I believe my copy is a reprint from 1934, judging by what it says on the 9th page :- Copyright 1927, 1928 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO REPRODUCE THIS BOOK OR PARTS THEREOF IN ANY FORM FIRST AND SECOND PRINTINGS BEFORE PUBLICATION PUBLISHED OCTOBER, 1928 THIRD PRINTING NOVEMBER, 1928 FOURTH PRINTING DECEMBER, 1928 FIFTH PRINTING MARCH, 1929 SIXTH PRINTING JANUARY, 1930 SEVENTH PRINTING JANUARY, 1934 Am I right in thinking it's from 1934? ____________________________________________________________________ Anyways, to the 'newspaper' cuttings :- The first cutting appears on page 18 of the recipe section, and is stuck on recipe number 30 (Regent's Punch):- "Original Regents Punch. Mix four ounces of sugar, the thin peel of one lemon and one orange, one bottle of dry champagne, one half bottle of brandy, one half gill of rum, one gill of arrack, one half gill of pineapple syrup, one wine glass of Maraschino. Now pour one quart of boiling water over two teaspoonfuls of green tea; let it stand for five minutes, then strain and mix with the other ingredients. Ice thoroughly before serving." ____________________________________________________________________ The second cutting appears on page 31, under the picture for 'Theodore Stewart's Barroom in John Street' :- "A Royal Punch The following recipe, sent in by a Massachusetts Trailer, is described as having been originated by a man who was attached to the household of Napoleon. It is described as "Punch Royale" and is truly regal, not only in its proportions but also in its magnificent array of ingredients. Here is the recipe: Punch Royale 6 bottles white wine 1 pint rum 2 bottles Cognac 1 bottle Kirschwasser 1 bottle Curacao 1 pint strong green tea Mix carefully and well in a demi-john. Let stand for twenty-four hours. One-third of this mixture is poured into a five-gallon punch bowl, then add fruits and water in the following amounts: 1 bottle raspberry juice 4 bottles seltzer water The grated skins of six lemons (no juice) 6 pounds of white sugar 1 large pineapple cut in cubes 1 dozen oranges cut in cubes 1 bottle maraschino cherries Ice thoroughly and serve" There are then a further 13 cuttings on recipe pages 64/65/66. All of these cuttings bear recipes for drinks of the 'Pousse-Cafe' style, with names such as Pousse Cafe, Blanche Cocktail, Princess Cocktail, Knickerbein, Rainbow Plus, Smile Cocktail, Three Trees and A Maiden's Kiss as well as having little 'tit-bits' and 'quotes'. ____________________________________________________________________ The next cutting appears on page 103, above the 'Negus' section. "Port Wine Negus Pour half a bottle of port wine into a jug; rub ten lumps of sugar on the rind of a lemon and strain it, adding sugar and lemon juice to the port, with a little nutmeg. Add to this a quart of boiling water, cover the jug and serve quickly while hot." ____________________________________________________________________ The next cutting is on page 107 under the picture of 'Scoudrels Plying an Innocent Maiden with Liquor in 1870'. This also sit's in between recipe 201 (Mulled Wine - in verse). The verse in the book reads as :- FIRST, my dear madam, you must take Nine eggs, which carefully you'll break- Into a bowl you'll drop the white, The yolks into another by it. Let Betsy beat the whites with switch, Till they appear quite frothed and rich - Another hand the yolks must beat With sugar, which will make them sweet; Three or four spoonfuls maybe'll do, Though some, perhaps, would take but two. Into a skillet next you'll pour A bottle of good wine, or more - Put half a pint of water, too, Or may it prove too strong for you; And while the eggs (by two) are beating, The wine and water may be heating; But when it comes to boiling heat, The yolks and whites together beat With half a pint of water more - Mixing them well, then gently pour Into the skillet with all the wine, And stir it briskly all the time. Then pour it off into a pitcher; Grate nutmeg in to make it richer. Then drink it hot, for he's a fool, Who lets such precious liquor cool. The newspaper cuttings verse is as follows :- "An Old Formula for An Old-Fashioned Drink. The following recipe for mulled wine was written by Leo Engel, American bartender at the old Criterion, in London: To make good mulled wine, just allow me to say- Nine eggs you must break and then do not delay. But into a bowl let the whites all be dropped, Whilst all of the yolks in another are popped. With a switch let the whites be beaten about Until like the froth of the sea they come out; To the yolks then attend, and beat them also, And at them three spoonfuls of sugar just throw. Now into a skillet its quite time to pour Of some recognised brand a bottle or more; And if of your head you may have any fear, Add one pint of water and mind it is clear. The water and wine must be kept on the fire Till they reach the boiling heat you require; Then the yolks and the whites please beat as before. A half pint of water o'er them gently pour. Mix all well together until they combine And then turn them into the skillet of wine; Stir about briskly and pour in a pitcher And grated nutmeg, 'twill make it much richer, Drink it off hot, and i'll bet any odds You'll own it's a drink that is fit for the gods." Where did the rhyme in the book come from? Is Leo's rhyme the original or a 'variation'? On the back of that cutting, there is a question from a reader, ("From time to time you refer to pure spirit. Just what is meant by "spirit"? Do you mean pure grain alcohol or is it some other distilled product, aged or new?") along with the answer from the newspaper. ____________________________________________________________________ The next cutting appears on page 150 next to recipe 284 (Gum Syrup), and is another question from a reader. "Gum Syrup Q. - Will you please tell me just what is meant by "gum syrup"? A. - The simplest "gum syrup" is the plain sugar product, which is the base of all fruit syrups. It is made by boiling sugar in a small quantity of water - about three cups to two pounds of sugar. Boil slowly about ten minutes, then let cool and bottle." ____________________________________________________________________ The last two cuttings can be found under recipe 290 (Tincture of Allspice), and have been numbered 290-a (Falernum) and 290-b (Orgeat). "Falernum One pound sugar One pint water Boil above to a light syrup and let cool. Add six ounces lime juice (can be bought in bottles). Four ounces alcohol. Four ounces water. Add about ten drops of almond extract. Orgeat Blanch and pound three quarters of a pound of sweet almonds, in one tablespoonful of water. Stir in by degrees two pints of water and three pints of milk. Strain the mixture through a cloth. Dissolve half a pound of sugar in one pint of water. Boil and skim well, then add mix with the almond water. Add two tablespoonfuls of orange flower water and half a pint of old brandy." ____________________________________________________________________ And that is all the cuttings. If anyone has any idea which publication they are from and/or when they were printed, you'd be putting my mind at ease! I appreciate any info you may or may not have... Many thanks for taking the time to read this, Kind regards, Adam

A lot of these 'after-dinner' drinks really look like they would benefit with the addition of some rye/scotch/bourbon/etc. What do you think Erik? Great work by the way. Love catching up with the goings on in this thread. Keep it up... S'laters, Adam

http://www.becherovka.cz/en/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becherovka Just back from my local bar, and one of the bartenders there had taken a bottle of this liqueur back over from a visit home to the Czech Republic. Just wondered if anyone here has came across this stuff before?!? I sampled a little of it (i'm full of the cold just now so my sense of smell and taste bud's aren't the best, ) and I was pleasantly surprised. Can't wait to get rid of this cold and try it in some cocktails. On the nose, you get a strong aroma of star anise/clove, with light hints of liquorice/cinnamon. On tasting, you get the initial sweet flavour's of cinnamon, which is slowly followed by the warming/spiced notes of cinnamon, star anise and clove. It has a long, herbacious (is this even a word?!? ) finish, not dis-similar to the finish you get with Pernod/Absinthe/Chartreuse/etc./etc. Very, very interesting liqueur. Once i've shaken the cold off, i'll try again in some drinks and let you know what I think... S'laters, Adam

I created the following drink for a Moroccan/Mediterranean influenced menu a couple of year's back. This drink was created to partner a meal on the food menu. The peppery flavour from the basil works really well with the strawberries and the botanicals of the gin :- 4 Fresh Strawberries 8 Basil Leaves 1 Bar Spoon of Caster Sugar Pinch of Black Pepper 50ml Plymouth Gin 15ml Fresh Lemon Juice 15ml Elderflower Cordial Fill with Soda Glass: 14oz Highball/Collins Ice: Crushed Garnish: Basil Sprig Procedure: Muddle first four ingredients in glass until sugar is dissolved. Add Gin, Elderflower and Lemon Juice, fill glass with crushed ice and churn. Top up glass with crushed ice (if required), stir and top with soda. S'laters, Adam P.S You may also like to try the Mediterranean Martini (created by Alex Kammerling) 8 Grapes 8 Basil Leaves 1 Bar Spoon of Vanilla Sugar 2oz Gin 3/4oz Fresh Lemon Juice Glass: Chilled Martini Garnish: Basil Leaf Procedure: Muddle first three ingredients in mixing glass until sugar is dissolved and all juice has been squeezed from Grapes. Add gin and lemon juice and shake with cubed ice. Double Strain.

Just received this e-mail fro Sheila at the Bucks Club, and she informs me that the aforementioned creator of the Sidecar was called, Malachy MacGarry

Just got this from Dale :- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- David Embury, from 'The fine Art of Mixing Drinks', which post dates my original source Fougner: 'The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks' by David Embury 1949: "Dry Manhattan with 2 or 3 dashes of Grand Marnier added to each drink. Use orange bitters, not angostura. A different version of this drink consists of a Medium Martini with a few dashes of grapefruit juice." As for the origin...this one may be lost in the mist but try my friend, the Historical Oracle as we have nick-named him, David Wondrich... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- S'laters, Adam

Again, I agree. I think that the original recipe would have consisted of :- Rye whiskey Grand Marnier Dry Vermouth Orange Bitters * A 'Dry Manhattan' with added Grand Marnier in short... At a guess it would probably have had a garnish of some sort but no idea what?!? Citrus twist of some description? But the modern adaptation would be :- Rye or Bourbon whiskey (whatever American whiskey comes to hand) Grand Marnier Dry Vermouth Bitters * Flamed orange peel *Bitters being optional (if using Bourbon I would use orange bitters to give it that spicy, warming edge that Rye offers)

Yeah, I read all about G. Selmer Fougner after I found the recipe in 'The Craft of the Cocktail'. Reckon he would have been in possession of some pretty good books from his time... He passed away in 1941 of a heart attack - http://jcgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/a...,932237,00.html "Died. G. Selmer Fougner, 56, U.S. gourmet, conductor, since Repeal, of the New York Sun column "Along the Wine Trail''; of a heart attack; in Washington. In devotion to his exquisite art, Columnist Fougner wrote several books on vinticulture and good living, founded no less than 14 epicurean societies, notably the famed "Les Amis d'Escoffier." I did think this may be the case when I read that Fougner published recipes from readers. The 'Boulevard' is similar to a 'Dry Manhattan' in some respects. Some 'Boulevard' recipes call for bitters, however, this could just be a modern addition... I have mailed Dale and await his response. Fingers crossed that he might know something?!?

Dale De Groff - Craft of the Cocktail - Page 90 Does anyone have a copy of this 'New York Sun'?

Thanks. Never thought about contacting a bar that has it featured on their menu

I have all the info I need for 5 of the above drinks, but I cannot find anything anywhere about 'Boulevard' Still searching but getting stuck and running out of ideas for where to look?!? Anyone point me in the right direction or have any info whatsoever? Thanks in advance Boulevard I have very little on this drink apart from a variety of recipes. I have came to the conclusion that it was originally made with :- Rye Whiskey Grand Marnier Vermouth And possibly Orange bitters Stir and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Flamed Orange Peel I have also found recipes that call for Bourbon over Rye?!?

Hello all, Apologies for the lengthy post first of all... I'm trying to clarify, and draw a clearer picture, on the info/history I/we have on a few drinks. Anything anyone could add would be much appreciated ____________________________________________________________________ Larchmont Rum Grand Marnier Lime Juice Sugar Syrup Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Orange Twist (optional) Created by David Embury and named his favourite community in New York, in which he lived. I, unfortunately, don't have the book this was printed in. Does it say, exactly when it was created? I am aware that it was printed in the 1948 Edition (cheers Dave...) Boulevard I have very little on this drink apart from a variety of recipes. I have came to the conclusion that it was originally made with :- Rye Whiskey Grand Marnier Vermouth And possibly Orange bitters Stir and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Flamed Orange Peel I have also found recipes that call for Bourbon over Rye?!? Between the Sheets Cognac Rum Cointreau Lemon or Lime Juice Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Lemon Twist (optional) I asked this before on Webtender and Dom Costa replied :- "Mr Polly. Manager of the Berkeley Hotel in London, 1921. Source: Classic Cocktail Club, Milan, Italy." There was also this reply from Mbanu :- "Johnny Brooks invented the drink during Prohibition at a bar in New Rochelle, New York" This was never cleared up though... Red Lion Grand Marnier Gin Lemon Juice Orange Juice or Grand Marnier Gin Grenadine Lime Juice Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail Other than that, I have nothing on this drink?!? Side Car Cognac Cointreau Lemon Juice Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail Created by Macgarry, a bartender at the Bucks Club, London, 1931. Does this guy have a first name as he only ever seems to be referenced as Macgarry? I'm sure that the sugar rim appeared on this drink a number of years after the original was created, which didn't have one. Is this correct? Just noticed there is a big write-up on the Side Car on this site, under the recipes section. Going to read over that now... Cosmopolitan Vodka (flavoured or not) Lime Juice (or, God forbid, Lime Cordial) Cranberry Juice Cointreau Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Orange Twist/Lime Wedge (optional) Cheryl Cook? Toby Cechinni? What year? Who actually created this drink, and what was the original recipe? Did the lime cordial version come first (similar to a Kamikaze), which was then followed by the more popular fresh lime-juice and flavoured vodka version? ____________________________________________________________________ Anyways, thats all for now. If anyone can add anything to any of the above drinks, that would be grand! Cheers in advance, Adam www.evo-lution.org