Stomping Through the "Savoy" (2009–)

[RoyalSwagger]

Just curious, and you may have already posted this but, why the blood orange juice? The drinks look beautiful with the deep crimson red, though I would imagine the flavor profile to be just different enough to be deemed as straying off the savoy path. It's an interesting choice, I would like to know the reason behind it.

[slkinsey]

I have, as a general rule of thumb, found blood orange juice to look a lot better than it tastes.

A few days ago I squeezed some fresh regular juice oranges, and they were far better than any blood orange juice I've ever had.

[eje]

I have, as a general rule of thumb, found blood orange juice to look a lot better than it tastes.

A few days ago I squeezed some fresh regular juice oranges, and they were far better than any blood orange juice I've ever had.

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That's too bad. I guess the fresh blood oranges I buy from central valley farmers' at the market are better than the ones you get in NY.

[eje]

Just curious, and you may have already posted this but, why the blood orange juice? The drinks look beautiful with the deep crimson red, though I would imagine the flavor profile to be just different enough to be deemed as straying off the savoy path. It's an interesting choice, I would like to know the reason behind it.

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Because they were in season at the time I made these drinks.

I stray off the Savoy path all the time, as variation in modern spirits, liqueur, and aperitif production pretty much make it impossible to stay on it in any strict sense of the word.

Unless I only used actual vintage spirits, I don't see how it would even be remotely possible to stay on the savoy path. And vintage aperitifs and liqueurs would likely be toast.

[Chris Amirault]

Erik, I can't say I'm shocked to read that you use "fruit in season," as they say, and that taste matters to you.

As for the Savoy path, if you didn't stray from it regularly during this odyssey, I'd think that you'd be forced to stray from the path of sanity. Foolish consistency, all that.

[eje]

I shouldn't be so flippant, I suppose.

We, here in CA, are ridiculously lucky with the quality of citrus we have, especially those of us lucky enough to have nearby farmers' markets.

I've tried Blood Oranges in other parts of the country, and found them to be pretty uninspiring.

The only conclusion I can come to is that Blood Oranges are both quite seasonal and do not travel well.

Even here, I really only like Moro Blood Oranges in the early part of the season, when they are still quite tart. Later in the year, when that berry-funkiness takes over, I do not usually buy them.

[bostonapothecary]

I shouldn't be so flippant, I suppose.

We, here in CA, are ridiculously lucky with the quality of citrus we have, especially those of us lucky enough to have nearby farmers' markets.

I've tried Blood Oranges in other parts of the country, and found them to be pretty uninspiring.

The only conclusion I can come to is that Blood Oranges are both quite seasonal and do not travel well.

Even here, I really only like Moro Blood Oranges in the early part of the season, when they are still quite tart.  Later in the year, when that berry-funkiness takes over, I do not usually buy them.

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have you tried any sour oranges in savoy drinks? they have become one of my favorite things in life...

[slkinsey]

I have, as a general rule of thumb, found blood orange juice to look a lot better than it tastes.

A few days ago I squeezed some fresh regular juice oranges, and they were far better than any blood orange juice I've ever had.

That's too bad. I guess the fresh blood oranges I buy from central valley farmers' at the market are better than the ones you get in NY.

Or I suppose it could mean that we have much better juice oranges.

I've had Moro and Sanguinello oranges in Italy... still didn't think they were all that special if you took away the color.

[RoyalSwagger]

I'm currently working on a batch of Blood orange bitters because of that awful Stirrings bottling, sounds like a good idea but, please put some sauce into it. Here in Tucson we only get that berry funkiness you spoke of, definitely understand what you mean. Thanks for explaining.

Edited May 28, 2009 by RoyalSwagger (log)

[eje]

Opening Cocktail.

1/4 Grenadine. (1/2 oz Homemade Grenadine)

1/4 Italian Vermouth. (1/2 oz Punt e Mes)

1/2 Canadian Club Whisky. (1 oz Alberta Premium Canadian Whisky)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Again, this seemed a bit sweet without some bittering agent. Stretched the rules a bit and used Punt e Mes. It’s just about the only Sweet vermouth we use at Alembic. Blame Daniel Hyatt. He’s a bad influence.

Like the “One Exciting Night” I enjoyed this more than I expected, with the Punt e Mes providing enough contrast and bitterness to counter the sweetness of the homemade grenadine. Enjoyable flavors too. Though if making it for myself again, I’d probably use 1 1/2 oz whiskey, 3/4 oz Punt e Mes, and a barspoon of Grenadine.

Edited May 29, 2009 by eje (log)

[eje]

Opera Cocktail.

1/6 Maraschino. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino)

1/6 Dubonnet. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Dubonnet Rouge)

2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Beefeater 24)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top.

This version of the Opera is too sweet for me. Tastes like perfumey, wine candy. My first instinct was to increase the Dubonnet Rouge to 3/4 oz and reduce the Maraschino to a bar spoon. That version lacked zest. I think somewhere around a quarter ounce of Maraschino would be about right. A dash or two of Angostura bitters wouldn’t hurt, either.

Received the Beefeater 24 from the folks promoting its launch in the US. Nice bottle, eh? It’s a pleasant gin, a bit more citrus forward than the regular Beefeater and perhaps a bit sweeter. I don’t get much flavor from the much ballyhooed inclusion of Japanese Green Tea. Perhaps the subtle character of green tea would show up in a simpler drink.

[alacarte]

One Exciting Night Cocktail.

1 Dash Orange Juice. (1 Dash Blood Orange Juice)

1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Original Dry Vermouth)

1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Punt e Mes)

1/3 Plymouth Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin)

Shake (I stirred) well and strain into Port Wine glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top. Frost edge of glass with castor sugar.

As always, your life will be much easier if you frost the edge of the glass before straining the cocktail into it.

However, faced with mandatory glass frosting in a not very tart cocktail, I opted for the more bitter flavors of Punt e Mes in this Bronx-like Cocktail. This at least provided some interesting contrasts between the bitter and sweet elements of the construction. Fairly enjoyable, but I would leave out the caster sugar, if making it for myself, even if it cut down on the excitement for the evening.

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Georgeous photo - it looks like something from the pages of Imbibe magazine!

[jmfangio]

Received the Beefeater 24 from the folks promoting its launch in the US. Nice bottle, eh? It’s a pleasant gin, a bit more citrus forward than the regular Beefeater and perhaps a bit sweeter. I don’t get much flavor from the much ballyhooed inclusion of Japanese Green Tea. Perhaps the subtle character of green tea would show up in a simpler drink.

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Erik,

Any word from them on when the Beefeater 24 is going to start showing up at retail in California? I've been diligently checking the websites for Hi Time Wines and Beverage Warehouse (they're both usually pretty good about having new spirits sooner than anyone else), but no luck yet.

[eje]

Orange Cocktail.

(6 People)

Take a glass and a half of fresh orange juice (3/4 oz Orange Juice) a dessert-spoonful of Orange Bitters (2 dashes Angostura Orange Bitters), 3 glasses of Gin (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin), a dessert-spoonful of sugar syrup (or a heaped spoonful of powdered sugar) (dash rich simple syrup) and nearly a glass of French Vermouth (1/2 oz Noilly Original Dry). Place the shaker on ice (in the fridge) for half an hour, and then shake with 2 or 3 large lumps of ice, so as not to produce too much water. Squeeze a piece of orange peel over each glass and serve.

I actually really liked the Orange Cocktail. Seems like it would be pretty simple, sort of a Bronx without the Sweet Vermouth. The orange bitters give it a nice refreshing zest, making it a appealing aperitif cocktail. Not too much orange juice, also makes it a bit closer to a Martini, than a Bronx.

The instructions to put it on ice for half an hour are puzzling. When I’ve run across other recipes like this in the book, bartenders often say things like, “there is no way this cocktail would ever be made in a bar.” I’ve also assumed the same, thinking these would be for home parties and the like. However, thinking about it a bit more this time, I wonder if this might be a pre-mixed cocktail. If it was served in a bar, the bartender might have it mixed, sitting on ice, and ready to chill and serve.

[thirtyoneknots]

The instructions to put it on ice for half an hour are puzzling. When I’ve run across other recipes like this in the book, bartenders often say things like, “there is no way this cocktail would ever be made in a bar.” I’ve also assumed the same, thinking these would be for home parties and the like. However, thinking about it a bit more this time, I wonder if this might be a pre-mixed cocktail. If it was served in a bar, the bartender might have it mixed, sitting on ice, and ready to chill and serve.

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What makes me curious is if doing this has any effect on the drink different than just shaking and straining or whatever. Odd instructions indeed.

[David Santucci]

This version of the Opera is too sweet for me. Tastes like perfumey, wine candy. My first instinct was to increase the Dubonnet Rouge to 3/4 oz and reduce the Maraschino to a bar spoon. That version lacked zest. I think somewhere around a quarter ounce of Maraschino would be about right. A dash or two of Angostura bitters wouldn’t hurt, either.

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Funny you weren't so hot on the Opera, I have always been a big fan. `Course I tend to make it in a 2:3/4:1/4 ratio. `Course I also tend to substitute Rye for the Gin (and call it the Opry). Good cocktial, though. Think I might have to get me a bottle of Dubonnet and make a couple of these...

[Splificator]

The instructions to put it on ice for half an hour are puzzling. When I’ve run across other recipes like this in the book, bartenders often say things like, “there is no way this cocktail would ever be made in a bar.” I’ve also assumed the same, thinking these would be for home parties and the like. However, thinking about it a bit more this time, I wonder if this might be a pre-mixed cocktail. If it was served in a bar, the bartender might have it mixed, sitting on ice, and ready to chill and serve.

I've long harbored a suspicion that all the "6 people" recipes in the Savoy come from a common source, some pamphlet or booklet that has escaped our notice. There are 55 of them (56 if you count the Pineapple Julep), only a tiny handful of which have turned up elsewhere: the Martinez is, well, the Martinez, and the Ping-Pong Special and the Diabola are adapted from Robert Vermiere. None of them were associated with Harry Craddock in the media of the day, and they all have a certain country-house, Jeeves-bring-in-the-drinks-tray quality to them. The ingredients are certainly more continental and British than American, but that could be Craddock's editing.

[thirtyoneknots]

The instructions to put it on ice for half an hour are puzzling. When I’ve run across other recipes like this in the book, bartenders often say things like, “there is no way this cocktail would ever be made in a bar.” I’ve also assumed the same, thinking these would be for home parties and the like. However, thinking about it a bit more this time, I wonder if this might be a pre-mixed cocktail. If it was served in a bar, the bartender might have it mixed, sitting on ice, and ready to chill and serve.

I've long harbored a suspicion that all the "6 people" recipes in the Savoy come from a common source, some pamphlet or booklet that has escaped our notice. There are 55 of them (56 if you count the Pineapple Julep), only a tiny handful of which have turned up elsewhere: the Martinez is, well, the Martinez, and the Ping-Pong Special and the Diabola are adapted from Robert Vermiere. None of them were associated with Harry Craddock in the media of the day, and they all have a certain country-house, Jeeves-bring-in-the-drinks-tray quality to them. The ingredients are certainly more continental and British than American, but that could be Craddock's editing.

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The measure of "dessert spoon" does not appear in any single serving recipe either does it? Sounds more like something a home hobbyist would use than a professional bartender.

[Splificator]

The measure of "dessert spoon" does not appear in any single serving recipe either does it? Sounds more like something a home hobbyist would use than a professional bartender.

Yeah, exactly. Also noteworthy is the call for a "small teaspoon" and, of course, the use of "glasses" to measure things instead of proportions as in the general run of Craddock's drinks. Plus a lot of the ingredients are hardly standard bar stock: jellies and marmalades, lemon syrup, fresh peaches and apricots, etc.

Craddock's book was a lightly-edited catch-all, with many books plundered wholesale; this certainly seems like another one.

[eje]

The measure of "dessert spoon" does not appear in any single serving recipe either does it? Sounds more like something a home hobbyist would use than a professional bartender.

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Actually "dessertspoonful" does appear in the single serving Cat's Eye Cocktail, but that's the only one.

I don't know that the dessertspoon measure makes it an entirely open and shut case. I've got recipes in my black book that use the demi-spoons from coffee service for measures. Though it is usually dry ingredients, not bitters or the like.

Could be a single source, though, the ingredients in those recipes are fairly similar. Definitely someone very fond of Orange Bitters.

Another source I've been puzzling over lately is the missing South African bar book. I feel pretty certain that all the Caperitif containing recipes or those with names related to the Anglo Boer war have a single source. I also really doubt it is English, given how most of the battles and persons honored were not heroes of the Empire.

[eje]

Erik,

Any word from them on when the Beefeater 24 is going to start showing up at retail in California?  I've been diligently checking the websites for Hi Time Wines and Beverage Warehouse (they're both usually pretty good about having new spirits sooner than anyone else), but no luck yet.

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I asked the PR firm representing Beefeater 24, and they said 6 months to a year for expansion outside of San Francisco and New York. Though they said they have gotten very good response to the product, so it is pretty much a given at this point that it will happen.

About your only choice at the moment would be ordering from a firm inside of one of those metropolitan areas. Or somehow convincing a friend who lives in either one to send you some.

Edited June 2, 2009 by eje (log)

[Splificator]

Another source I've been puzzling over lately is the missing South African bar book.  I feel pretty certain that all the Caperitif containing recipes or those with names related to the Anglo Boer war have a single source.  I also really doubt it is English, given how most of the battles and persons honored were not heroes of the Empire.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure there was a Caperitif brochure floating around the bar.

[eje]

Orange Bloom Cocktail.

1/4 Italian Vermouth. (1/2 oz Dolin Rosso)

1/4 Cointreau. (1/2 oz Cointreau)

1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz Beefeater 24)

Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass and add a cherry.

I am not sure if it was the combination of the somewhat hot character of the Cointreau and the Beefeater 24, but even after a nice long stir to a quite cold temperature this was a very strongly alcohol smelling and flavored drink.

I don’t know about you, but whenever I smell alcohol based hand sanitizer at work or on public transit, I always think someone is hitting the vodka.

To me, this had a similar character.

Maybe a stronger flavored and sweeter vermouth would have been better at mitigating the hot character of these two strong spirits.

[thirtyoneknots]

Maybe a stronger flavored and sweeter vermouth would have been better at mitigating the hot character of these two strong spirits.

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Or a dash of [orange] bitters?

[eje]

Orange Blossom Cocktail.

1/2 Orange juice. (1 oz fresh squeezed Orange Juice)

1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz Beefeater 24)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Robert Vermeire tells us this recipe was, “by Malloy of Pittsburg.”

Nothing complicated here. Orange Juice and gin, that’s it. More interesting than a screwdriver and less interesting than most other drinks. There are a few other Orange Blossom recipes ’round and about that are a bit more complicated than the Savoy. Some including sugar, grenadine, or honey syrup.

In regards the Beefeater 24, this was my third drink of the evening using it and the least successful. I was hoping the slightly complex flavor profile of the new gin would complement fruit juice and bring some extra character to the drink. Unfortunately, the opposite proved to be true, with the added complexity distracting from the simple pleasure and clean flavor of the freshly squeezed orange juice.