Stomping Through the "Savoy" (2007–2008)

[eje]

Loud Speaker Cocktail

1/8 Lemon Juice. (1/4 oz Lemon Juice)

1/8 Cointreau. (1/4 oz Cointreau)

3/8 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz North Shore Distiller's Gin #6)

3/8 Brandy. (3/4 oz Osocalis Brandy)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

This it is that gives to Radio Announcers their peculiar enunciation. Three of them will produce oscillation and after five it is possible to reach the osculation stage.

Dictionary.com gives 4 possible definitions of "osculation".

os·cu·la·tion

–noun

1. the act of kissing.

2. a kiss.

3. close contact.

4. Geometry. the contact between two osculating curves or the like.

The wikipedia gives an additional definition for osculate, "to bring into focus or tune, to attune." Which makes the most sense to me, at least in this context.

Kind of a pain in the ass to measure, but an enjoyable light, dry cocktail, all the same.

[eje]

Could be that Astor was a 'company town' connected to The Famous Astors that just sort of faded from the map completely.

I think the whole Lone Tree story is highly suspect. Did you try the Savoy version with bitters? Which one did you prefer?

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I didn't, actually. The Savoy Lone Tree recipe seems like a fine, "shilly shally," perfect martini. We'll have enough of those in a page or two. It was more fun to make it without the French Vermouth and use a portion of my tiny bottle of Malacca.

Something to do, anyway, while waiting for the Hayman's Old-Tom gin to become available in California.

Edited August 10, 2008 by eje (log)

[eje]

Luigi Cocktail

1 Teaspoonful Grenadine. (1 tsp. Fee's American Beauty Grenadine)

1 Dash Cointreau. (1/3 tsp. Cointreau)

The Juice of 1/2 Tangerine. (Scant juice 1/2 small orange)

1/2 Dry Gin. (1/2 oz Plymouth Gin)

1/2 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

According to Robert Vermeire, in his book "Cocktails: How to Mix Them":

This cocktail was invented by Mr. Luigi Naintre, the proprietor of the Embassy Club, who became famous at Romano’s, Ciro’s, and the Criterion.  He is one of the best known restauranteurs in the world and has an enormous and faithful following wherever he goes.  This cocktail is one of the most popular in London.

Unfortunately, it is just the wrong season for Tangerines or Mandarins. None to be found anywhere 'round these parts. I suppose they might be in season somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere?

Anyway, this certainly is a red cocktail when made with the Fee's Grenadine. Almost worryingly pink.

I can see how it would be better with Tangerine or Mandarin juice, as is almost any cocktail you care to name, not to mention homemade grenadine, but still... It's a fine, refreshing cocktail, just not fantastic, at least to me.

[brinza]

I've always thought the Legend of the Lone Tree to be slightly silly; if a thing is defined by a feature, and you remove that feature, how can you still call it the same thing? If bitters are the defining feature of a cocktail, and then you remove them, then at least on a semantic level, you no longer have a cocktail. I'm not saying that the Lone Tree isn't a cocktail, or even that it isn't delicious, I'm just saying that the story doesn't make much sense to me.

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Very well put. The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book prints most of its cocktails by listing the bitters as the first ingredient (which does come in handy on occasion). For a few, bitters are not mentioned. Their version of the Lone Tree includes bitters (but no French vermouth). However, the book includes a cocktail called the Thanksgiving, which appears to be a version of the Lone Tree Cocktail (but specifying Old Tom gin), and is so pointed about the lack of bitters that it lists the first ingredient as "No bitters." I just find it comical that it's printed like that.

[eje]

Lutkins Special Cocktail

2 Dashes Orange Juice. (1 tsp. Valencia Orange Juice)

2 Dashes Apricot Brandy. (1 tsp. Haus Alpenz Blumme Marillen)

1/2 French Vermouth. (1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)

1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz North Shore Distiller's No. 6)

(I'm sure no one would even think of rinsing the chilled glass with orange bitters before straining the cocktail into it. Nope not me.) Shake (or stir?) well and strain into cocktail glass.

Since this cocktail seemed pretty balanced already, with no bitters (ahem) or significant acid character, I figured I'd use the Apricot Eau-de-Vie instead of Apricot liqueur.

A fairly enjoyable dry martini type thing. A bit on the tropical side, perhaps. No Leave it to Me Cocktail (No. 2), but pretty nice all the same.

[eje]

Macaroni Cocktail

1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica)

2/3 Absinthe. (1 1/2 oz Kübler Absinthe)

Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Mint Sprig garnish.)

To be honest, this isn't the world's most attractive cocktail. Kind of looks like a cup of tea with milk. Maybe if you're from the other side of the pond, this is somehow appetizing?

It is, however, somewhat more tasty than it is appearing or sounding. Do give it a nice long stir, however.

[slkinsey]

Given the cloudiness, I wonder if this might be one where following the instruction to shake would be better.

[eje]

Given the cloudiness, I wonder if this might be one where following the instruction to shake would be better.

←

It's a drink where it doesn't probably matter that much whether you shake or stir.

Though, you might get some foam from the vermouth, if you shake. I tend to stir almost any cocktail with a significant amount of vermouth, but that's just my preference.

I will note that If you get some absinthe substitutes too cold, too dilute, too fast, instead of making a nice cloudy louche, the oils (or whatever) quickly amalgamate into larger globules and float to the top of the drink. Quite unattractive.

I've seen this when trying to make things drinks like the Absinthe Cocktail with the Henri Bardouin Pastis.

I've also seen it happen with Absinthe, if you make the cocktail too large and it sits for a while.

[eje]

McClelland Cocktail

1 Dash Absinthe. (1/3 tsp. Kübler Absinthe)

1/3 Curacao. (3/4 oz Bols Dry Orange Curaçao. Thanks Philip!)

2/3 Sloe Gin. (1 1/2 oz Lindisfarne Sloe Gin)

Shake (or stir?) well and strain into cocktail glass.

You would think this would be pretty darn close to undrinkable. It is pretty inky. However, the bitterness and sweet tart nature of the Sloe Gin puts it not far from a Late Bottle Vintage Port. An enjoyable combination of flavors, but definitely an after dinner drink.

The last time I was in England I stopped at Gerry's Wines & Spirits and asked about Plymouth Sloe Gin. Unfortunately, they were out of stock at the time. They suggested perhaps trying the Lindisfarne and whispered, "it's better anyway." I dunno if it is better, but it is more intensely Sloe flavored.

Interestingly, Lindisfarne is a tidal island only accessible by boat or by road just some of the time.

A TIDAL ISLAND: Holy Island is linked to the mainland by a long causeway. Twice each day the tide sweeps in from the North Sea and covers the road. Tide times and heights can be accurately predicted from the phases of the Moon. Severe weather can produce offsets, particularly with strong winds from the North and Northeast. The causeway crossing times are forecasted 'safe' crossing times. Nevertheless, travellers should remain vigilant if crossing near the extremeties.

Apparently, Lindisfarne also played an important role in the Christian Church's early days in England somewhere around 635 AD.

The Golden Age of Lindisfarne: The period of the first monastery is referred to as the "Golden Age" of Lindisfarne. Aidan and his monks came from the Irish monastery of Iona and with the support of King Oswald (based at nearby Bamburgh) worked as missionaries among the pagan English of Northumbria. In their monastery they set up the first known school in this area and introduced the arts of reading and writing, the Latin language and the Bible and other Christian books (all in Latin). They trained boys as practical missionaries who later went out over much of England to spread the Gospel.

Not sure which McClelland this cocktail might refer to. Joe McClelland seems like an English possibility. McClelland Barclay seems like a good American possibility.

Edited August 22, 2008 by eje (log)

[eje]

The Magnolia Blossom Cocktail

1/4 Lemon Juice (1/2 oz Lemon Juice)

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

1/2 Gin. (1 oz Plymouth Gin)

1 Dash Grenadine. (1/2 tsp. Homemade)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Another cocktail ripped from the pages of Judge Jr's prohibition era tome, "Here's How". Mr. Jr. notes that this cocktail was “Originated by Finley White of Durham, N.C., where the bull comes from.”

Interesting in that most cream based cocktails are on the sweet side. The Magnolia Blossom, on the other hand, tastes mostly like gin flavored yoghurt. Kind of nice if, like me, you enjoy that sort of thing.

[eje]

Mah-Jongg Cocktail

1/6 Cointreau. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Cointreau)

1/6 Bacardi Rum. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Montecristo White Rum)

2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz North Shore Distiller's No. 6)

Shake (stir please, very!) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Orange Peel.)

For being a big glass of 80+ proof spirits and liqueurs, this isn't half bad.

I couldn't quite decide between orange peel and cherry. Glad, in the end, that I went with the orange peel. The bitter orange oils provide a nice counter point to the mellower orange flavor of the Cointreau.

North Shore No. 6 is a modern gin, but I find it to be very well made. Also, it seems to complement fruit flavors very nicely, thus my choice of using it in this cocktail.

[eje]

Maiden’s Blush Cocktail (No. 1)

1 Dash Lemon Juice. (1/3 tsp Lemon Juice)

4 Dashes Orange Curacao. (generous 1 tsp. Bols Dry Orange Curacao)

4 Dashes Grenadine. (generous 1 tsp. Homemade Grenadine)

1 Glass Dry Gin. (2 oz Plymouth Gin)

Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Luxardo Cherry.)

Apparently Maidens of yore were made of sterner stuff than they are today. It looks like a Cosmo, but it's mostly a glass of cold gin.

And this one definitely needs a cherry.

Edited August 26, 2008 by eje (log)

[eje]

Maiden’s Blush Cocktail (No. 2)

1/3 Absinthe. (3/4 oz Kubler Absinthe)

2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Aviation Gin)

1 Teaspoonful Grenadine. (1 tsp. homemade Grenadine)

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

Robert Vermeire notes that this recipe was, "by Mr. Frank Newman, Paris"

About all I'm hoping is that this maiden got someone to call her a cab home.

[thirtyoneknots]

These are quite a bit more potent (or at least the potency is more apparent) than the typical type of thing whose name indicates that it is for the ladies. Is there some kind of joke at work here that is lost on modern readers or what? They both look enjoyable on some level but hardly the kind of thing one thinks of Maidens drinking (the Savoy is full of those, and thats not a bad thing).

[eje]

Maiden’s Prayer Cocktail (No. 1)

1/8 Orange Juice. (1/4 oz fresh Orange Juice)

1/8 Lemon Juice. (1/4 oz fresh Lemon Juice)

3/8 Cointreau. (3/4 oz Cointreau)

3/8 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Annoying as hell to measure, but very tasty, well balanced, and drinkable.

The orange flavor really "pops" in this cocktail.

One of the better Savoy cocktails I've run across in a while.

Edited August 28, 2008 by eje (log)

[slkinsey]

These are quite a bit more potent (or at least the potency is more apparent) than the typical type of thing whose name indicates that it is for the ladies. Is there some kind of joke at work here that is lost on modern readers or what? They both look enjoyable on some level but hardly the kind of thing one thinks of Maidens drinking (the Savoy is full of those, and thats not a bad thing).

I'm guessing the name is based on the color, which could be said to be similar to the blush on a young and as-yet innocent woman's face. "Maiden's blush" is a common name for things with a pale pink color.

Edited August 28, 2008 by slkinsey (log)

[Chris Amirault]

Maiden’s Prayer Cocktail (No. 1)

1/8 Orange Juice. (1/4 oz fresh Orange Juice)

1/8 Lemon Juice. (1/4 oz fresh Lemon Juice)

3/8 Cointreau.  (3/4 oz Cointreau)

3/8 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz Plymouth Gin)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Annoying as hell to measure, but very tasty, well balanced, and drinkable.

The orange flavor really "pops" in this cocktail.

One of the better Savoy cocktails I've run across in a while.

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Erik, what orange juice do you use for this? I've had a heck of a time making this balance bc I think it requires a flavorful, tart orange, something I don't find as often as I'd like around these parts.

[eje]

Erik, what orange juice do you use for this? I've had a heck of a time making this balance bc I think it requires a flavorful, tart orange, something I don't find as often as I'd like around these parts.

←

My usual answer, valencia oranges from the farmers' market. Sorry!

As much of our household produce as possible, including cocktail ingredients, comes from the Saturday Alemany Farmers' Market down the street from our house.

Seasonality, and the progress of the stomp, sometimes dictates purchasing produce or herbs from grocery stores, but not very often.

Edited August 28, 2008 by eje (log)

[Chris Amirault]

I'll keep asking until you say something using the word "Sunkist."

[thirtyoneknots]

I'm guessing the name is based on the color, which could be said to be similar to the blush on a young and as-yet innocent woman's face.  "Maiden's blush" is a common name for things with a pale pink color.

←

Good call; the next one (Prayer) was much more like expected.

[eje]

Good call; the next one (Prayer) was much more like expected.

←

Hey there! Are you saying I have tastes like a "Maiden"?

I resent that implication!

Besides, the Maiden's Prayer is about the same sweetness as a Corpse Reviver.

[thirtyoneknots]

Good call; the next one (Prayer) was much more like expected.

←

Hey there! Are you saying I have tastes like a "Maiden"?

I resent that implication!

Besides, the Maiden's Prayer is about the same sweetness as a Corpse Reviver.

←

Heh I was actually referring to the sour with oj formula. The Maidens I drink with all like Rye, so it's definitely not a pejorative around here

[eje]

Maiden’s Prayer Cocktail (No. 2*)

1/3 Kina Lillet. (3/4 oz Cocchi Americano)

1/3 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz North Shore Distiller's No. 6)

1/6 Calvados. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Groult Calvados Réserve 3 years old)

1/6 Pricota. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot)

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

*On the principle that if at first you don't succeed, cry, cry again.

According to cocktaildb Pricota was, "Defunct but highly-respected proprietary brand of English apricot-flavored brandy liqueur. Produced by Humphrey Taylor & Co. of London in the late 18th and 19th centuries," so we'll use the highly respected R&W Orchard Apricot instead.

Again, even though it is a modern gin, I've previously found that the North Shore No. 6 works well with apricot flavors, so I've deployed it here.

My bottle of Cocchi Aperitivo Americano, though it has served me well, is nearing a state of tragic emptiness. Here's hoping someone soon manages to convince the TTB to allow it back into the country.

I've found pleasure in the prayers of both of these Maidens and would be hard pressed to pick a favorite. The sweet-tart No. 1 or the bitter-sweet No. 2.

Both are well balanced, witty, and sophisticated young ladies, err... cocktails!

Chuckle, while I appreciate the bloom of sweet-tart youth, I guess I have come to a point in my life where some bitter-sweet experience is more appealing. In cocktails, that is. Right?

[Chris Amirault]

Absolutely. I'm happily embittered, myself.

[eje]

The Mamie Taylor Cocktail

1 Hooker Whisky. (2 oz Famous Grouse)

The Juice of 2 Limes. (Juice of 1 lime)

Fill tall glass with Ginger Ale (Fever Tree Ginger Ale).

It seems the Savoy gets this "2 limes" in a Mamie Taylor craziness from Judge Jr.'s prohibition book, "Here's How". Unless they are unusually small limes, 1 is plenty. In fact most recipes only call for only the juice of half a lime. The Savoy also fails to note that the proper whisky for the drink is Scotch. Oh, and it is usually made over ice.

Extremely popular in the early part of the 20th Century, the Mamie Taylor fell out of favor during prohibition and never really recovered.

Which is too bad, as it is really quite an enjoyable and refreshing drink.

I know I recently read an article or write up about the drink. I thought it was in David Wondrich's "Imbibe!". However, paging through, I don't see it. I suspect it may have been one of Ted Haigh's columns for the magazine Imbibe.

There's much information on the webtender wiki page: Mamie Taylor

This seems the most pertinent regarding the drinks creation...

"The Post Standard", 7th March 1902

"It was while Miss Taylor was the prima donna of an opera company playing at Ontario Beach, near Rochester, in 1899," he said, "that she was asked with a number of other members of the company to go out sailing on the lake. As the day was hot and the breeze rather strong, the party returned after a few hours longing for some cooling refreshments. When Miss Taylor was asked what she would have she expressed the wish for a long but not strong drink--in fact, a claret lemonade. When the drink was served it was very evident that it wasn't a claret lemonade, for it looked like a delicious long drink of sparkling champagne. On tasting it Miss Taylor found it much to her liking, but asked to have the flavor softened with a piece of lemon peel. When this was done the new combination drink was declared a complete success. Bystanders had been watching the proceedings and noticing the evident enjoyment with which Miss Taylor and a few of her friends relished in new drink they finally asked the hotel keeper what drink it was that was being served to them and without hesitation the hotel man replied "a Mamie Taylor" and the name seemed to meet with instantaneous favour and has become famous all over the country."

Edited August 30, 2008 by eje (log)