Really Smart Drinks

[Chris Amirault]

I've been realizing the last few weeks that there's a special place in my heart for a certain class of drinks that's hard to describe. Basically, they're just damned smart, an great idea that is an even better one in the glass, and the link between the two is expressed in the name.

I offer you two examples. First, the Marconi Wireless:

1 3/4 oz applejack (Laird's BIB)

3/4 oz sweet vermouth (Punt e Mes)

2 dashes orange bitters (a rare case where Fee's works well alone)

orange twist

Guglielmo Marconi was, of course, the Italian fellow who sat on a Cape Cod beach in 1903 and transmitted the first transatlantic wireless message. I don't know if he had a store of New Jersey applejack on hand to celebrate, but what better way to mark the connection between the shores than a drink that joins the libations of both.

I think that classic can happily share a bench with this new concoction from our own Dave Wondrich, aka Splificator, who named it Weeski:

2 oz Irish whiskey (he uses Jameson's, I like Powers)

1 oz Lillet blanc

1 tsp Cointreau

2 dashes orange bitters

lemon twist

New York Magazine gives the drink a parenthesis that explains the goofy name: What Whiskey Would Taste Like If It Were French. He's right -- and after a few you'll pronounce them with the proper accent.

Each drink is outstanding in the glass, not merely a clever idea, and their ingredients serve both. If you've had 'em, you know what I mean.

Surely there are others that avoid naming trends (celebrities who happen by, NYC neighborhoods) and variations on the same old song.

[jmfangio]

I threw out an original creation in the Naming Cocktails thread which I think fits the bill, whether it's really smart I'll leave for others to judge:

For example, a good friend of mine is part of a Lotus Elise owner's group, and during the LA Auto Show a couple of years ago we were hosting a dinner party for some Elise owners and Lotus executives, so I felt that I had to come up with an Elise cocktail - like the Elise (for you non-car people out there, a British sports car with a Toyota sourced engine) light, potent, and comprised of British and Japanese elements. So, I did a riff on the French 75 with Gin (Martin Miller's worked best), fresh yuzu, a dash of Rose's (the real British stuff), topped with sparkling sake.

but I'll be damned if I can think of another example. Interesting topic, though. This is going to keep me up at night until I think of something.

ETA: Slightly off this topic, but as mentioned in the Naming Cocktails thread, I'd still like to come up with something worthy of the name Poison Dart, for no other reason than I think that it's a seriously cool name for a cocktail.

Edited January 12, 2009 by jmfangio (log)

[Chris Amirault]

If it had the horsepower, I'd say this qualifies. Domo arigato, mate.

[mjc]

Is there a difference between the Marconi Wireless and The Star Cocktail?

[Chris Amirault]

I think so. The Star Cocktail, sayeth Paul Clarke at The Cocktail Chronicles, is an equal parts drink that includes gomme syrup and Peychaud's or Angosutra, not orange bitters. But they certainly are kissing cousins.

[Splificator]

Hey, flattered to have the Weeski included! Thanks!

Ironically, Guglielmo Marconi's mother was a Jameson of the Jameson Whiskey Jamesons. Small world.

As for the Marconi Wilreless-Star axis: according to the New York Herald, in 1897, when it was one of the Fifth-Avenue Hotel's new drinks for the season, the Star's "chief ingredient is apple jack, vermouth and orange bitters making up the rest."

Of course, Kappeler's 1-1 version that Mr. Clarke referenced is a couple of years earlier in print, but the Fifth-Avenue had a very well regarded bar and I'd have a hard time saying which of these was the definitive version. Jacques Straub's 1914 Drinks, an excellent indicator of what general practice was, splits the difference, going for 1 to 1 proportions (I'm assuming that "chief ingredient" in the Herald indicates something like 2:1 proportions) but with orange bitters and no gum.

Boy, is this geeky. I'd better stop.

[Chris Amirault]

Geeky is good.

Meanwhile: come on. There's gotta be more.

[KatieLoeb]

Is it immodest to pat oneself on the back and add their own drinks? I certainly have a few I'm proud of that fit this criteria (in MOHO), but I'd rather have someone else nominate them for fear of appearing unbelievably smug and self-serving...

I'd most certainly be flattered to death to be in such noble company.

Edited January 15, 2009 by KatieLoeb (log)

[MattJohnson]

Post away. Its admirable how you don't want to step on anyone's toes, but this is the internet - actually its even worse - a forum on the internet. The fact that you even thought about _not_ posting is pretty remarkable and indicative of the great community here.

And anyway, you're drinks are great.

[newbie21]

I've got to nominate the Juliet and Romeo; clever and delicious!

QUOTE(Alchemist @ Jul 6 2007, 11:31 AM)

Named rather indelicately after the rose and cucumber aspects of this cocktail.

The Juliet & Romeo

2.0 oz. Hendrix

.75 oz. lime

.75 oz. simple (1x1)

6 mint sprigs

3 slices cuke

pinch of salt (or in a pinch 1/2 barspoon of olive brine)

3 drops of rose water

serve up, garnish with a floating mint leaf, then spank the rest of the sprig.

Edited January 15, 2009 by newbie21 (log)

[haresfur]

I've been realizing the last few weeks that there's a special place in my heart for a certain class of drinks that's hard to describe. Basically, they're just damned smart, an great idea that is an even better one in the glass, and the link between the two is expressed in the name.

←

I nominate the Dark and Stormy. Too frequently, I find myself driving home from work thinking, "It's a dark and stormy night." Darn tasty and if nothing else it is a drink with staying power.

Dark and Stormy

[thirtyoneknots]

A twist on the Jasmine I read about on Drinkboy some time back and has been a big hit for us:

Bitter Elder

1.5 gin

.75 St Germaine

.5 Campari

.5 lemon

Although tonight I had my boss tell me that was a horrible name for a drink. Personally, I think it's pretty hilarious, especially when I get to tell the middle-aged regulars that the drink was named for them.

[campus five]

Here in Los Angeles, we had a cocktail contest (details HERE) for Cocktails to be named after local downtown LA sub-districts. The idea was essentially to riff on the Manhattan, sort of the way drinks named after other NYC areas (such as the Red Hook, Little Italy, Green Point, etc.) also riff on the Manhattan.

There were two particular guidelines. 1) The ingredients not be particularly obscure or homemade, such that you'd be able to make or order it more places; and 2) it should be a manhattan-esque, stirred cocktail, i.e. NO CITRUS.

Anyway, as soon as I heard the announcement, my main entry occurred to me. "Little Tokyo" is a sub-district of Los Angeles, and then there's Jerry Thomas's "Japanese Cocktail." The Japanese is essentially an Old Fashioned-style Brandy cocktail, but made with Orgeat as the sweetener. So, why not change the Brandy to Rye?

I think its pretty delicious. Of course, since the orgeat is such a prominent ingredient, you should use decent stuff. So, my entry:

2 oz. Rye

1/4 oz. - 1/2 oz. Orgeat (depending on the whiskey used)

2 heavy dashes Angostura Bitters

stir, cook, strain, up

flamed orange twist

Judging will occur in Feb, so I can't technically claim the name for this drink yet, but I think it's somewhat clever. I suppose the more obvious move would have been to use asian ingredients like sake, or sochu, or even something like Domain Canton, etc. But I like the JT connection as something with a little bit richer back story.

Anywhere, here's hoping the above wins the title "Little Tokyo" Cocktail.

(Edited for spelling, because apparently I am incapable of spelling "Tokyo" properly at 11:41pm)

Edited January 16, 2009 by campus five (log)

[Kent Wang]

Earl Grey MarTEAni, one of my absolute favorite cocktails.

[Chris Amirault]

I love that drink, too, but the perfection and iconic status of both drink and creator aside, I definitely feel like I'm supposed to dig someone in the ribs like Eric Idle in the "Nudge Nudge" sketch every time I tell them the name. "Early Grey Mar-TEEEEEEA-Ni? Know what I mean? Know what I mean?" (This from a guy with more stupid names for drinks than pet forums have for dogs.)

[MattJohnson]

I tried the Weeski last night - it was great. I'll have to try the bitter elder tonight. I love the name. Everyone has a bitter elder and should be able to relate.

[KatieLoeb]

Post away.  Its admirable how you don't want to step on anyone's toes, but this is the internet - actually its even worse - a forum on the internet.  The fact that you even thought about _not_ posting is pretty remarkable and indicative of the great community here.

And anyway, you're drinks are great.

←

Thanks Matt! I'm flattered...

The two drink names I've come up with that I like the best are the Mumbai Mule, just because it explains itself perfectly well - a Moscow Mule but with all those lovely Indian flavors of pomegranate, lime and ginger together, and the Front Stoop Lemonade, just because it reflects the Philly roots of the drink. Local Bluecoat gin, homemade lemon cordial, Thai basil syrup and soda. And we don't have back porches here - we have front stoops to drink on. You got a problem wit' dat'??

[RoyalSwagger]

Long time reader first time poster. A couple things to add, one being in response to campus five, a little correction on the Red Hook it being a riff on the Brooklyn and not the Manhattan but, still getting your meaning through.

The other thing actually has to do with both my first point and the topic itself. On my current drink menu at work I have a cocktail called the Hat Town (awful name owing to my own inside joke) that is in itself a riff of the Red Hook. The Hat Town Contains Rye, Punt y Mes, and Creme de Cacao, flamed with an orange twist. Here's where the topic comes in, recently taking inspiration from Brian Miller I decided to infused some Wild Turkey with candied walnuts and replaced the rye in the Hat Town with the Walnut Wild Turkey. My bartenders and myself were calling this drink the Nut Town which soon evolved into the Nut House, one of my bartenders was doing a little research and found a little bit of interesting history. The Binghamton, a New York state asylum being one of the first asylums to treat inebriety as a disease, thus we had a keeper of a name. The walnut infused riff on a Red Hook, The Nut House became the Binghamton.

The Binghamton

Walnut infused Rye or Bourbon 2 oz

Punt y Mes 3/4 oz

Creme de Cacao 1/4 oz

Dash Fee's Barrel Bitters

Stir, Strain into coupe

Flame with liberally cut orange twist

[Chris Amirault]

Found another, right under my nose, the Widow's Kiss from George Kappeler’s Modern American Drinks of 1895, which I make following Ted Haigh's suggestions:

1 1/2 oz apple brandy (Laird's BIB)

3/4 oz yellow Chartreuse

3/4 oz Benedictine

2 dashes Angostura

I do mean nose: I used my two thirty-plus-year-old bottles of Chartreuse and Benedictine, which truly evoked the scene Dr. Cocktail describes in Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails:

As the scene opens, you are up in your grandmother's attic opening the dusty steamer trunk she brought from Europe in 1914. You reverently turn back layer upon layer of old lace and brocade . . . unveiling a packet of old love letters tied in silk ribbon. Ancient dried rose petals flutter down from between the envelopes.

That is what the Window's Kiss is like. Sweet, complex, and darkly golden; thought provoking and introspective. It is a cocktail of fall turning toward winter, and it wins Doc's award as the most evocative drink ever. Have one by the fire.

[thirtyoneknots]

Found another, right under my nose, the Widow's Kiss from George Kappeler’s Modern American Drinks of 1895, which I make following Ted Haigh's suggestions:

1 1/2 oz apple brandy (Laird's BIB)

3/4 oz yellow Chartreuse

3/4 oz Benedictine

2 dashes Angostura

I do mean nose: I used my two thirty-plus-year-old bottles of Chartreuse and Benedictine, which truly evoked the scene Dr. Cocktail describes in Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails:

As the scene opens, you are up in your grandmother's attic opening the dusty steamer trunk she brought from Europe in 1914. You reverently turn back layer upon layer of old lace and brocade . . . unveiling a packet of old love letters tied in silk ribbon. Ancient dried rose petals flutter down from between the envelopes.

That is what the Window's Kiss is like. Sweet, complex, and darkly golden; thought provoking and introspective. It is a cocktail of fall turning toward winter, and it wins Doc's award as the most evocative drink ever. Have one by the fire.

←

It's good no matter what, but that drink really begs for Calvados I think. Also, imo, it should be made as a 2 oz drink but drank in the same time as a 3 oz drink, to better contemplate the flavors. Not something to drink when you are in a hurry.

[bostonapothecary]

Found another, right under my nose, the Widow's Kiss from George Kappeler’s Modern American Drinks of 1895, which I make following Ted Haigh's suggestions:

1 1/2 oz apple brandy (Laird's BIB)

3/4 oz yellow Chartreuse

3/4 oz Benedictine

2 dashes Angostura

I do mean nose: I used my two thirty-plus-year-old bottles of Chartreuse and Benedictine, which truly evoked the scene Dr. Cocktail describes in Vintage Spirits & Forgotten Cocktails:

As the scene opens, you are up in your grandmother's attic opening the dusty steamer trunk she brought from Europe in 1914. You reverently turn back layer upon layer of old lace and brocade . . . unveiling a packet of old love letters tied in silk ribbon. Ancient dried rose petals flutter down from between the envelopes.

That is what the Window's Kiss is like. Sweet, complex, and darkly golden; thought provoking and introspective. It is a cocktail of fall turning toward winter, and it wins Doc's award as the most evocative drink ever. Have one by the fire.

←

It's good no matter what, but that drink really begs for Calvados I think. Also, imo, it should be made as a 2 oz drink but drank in the same time as a 3 oz drink, to better contemplate the flavors. Not something to drink when you are in a hurry.

←

the widows kiss is hard to metabolize but so worth it.