Stomping Through the "Savoy" (2007–2008)

[lostmyshape]

[...]

the botanicals (or maybe the wine used) has this "brine-y" quality that reminds me of sea spray...

←

Interesting thoughts!

Saying the Vya has a briney character makes me think of some Scotches and Campari.

I wonder if it would mix well with either of those?

←

i was messing with a manhatten variations... well actually variations on audry saunders' "little italy." i love the bitter flavors from the cynar. it perks a manhatten up, but it's pretty sweet (sweeter than campari). so i started to experiment with substituting vya extra dry for the sweet vermounth. it worked pretty well. as did brandy, cynar, and vya e-dry combinations.

i could never get it to play well with gin, though, which is maybe where all the disappointment in it comes from. wish i could get my hands on some genever. maybe a vya "martini" would work with the maltier gin?

[jmfangio]

Saying the Vya has a briney character makes me think of some Scotches and Campari.

I wonder if it would mix well with either of those?

←

I think the Vya plays really well in a Negroni but, even better, a Negroni variation with Aperol in lieu of the Campari, finished with a flamed orange twist. Something about the flamed orange oils works beautifully with the Vya.

[eje]

H. and H. Cocktail*

2 Dashes Curacao. (Brizard Orange Curacao)

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

2/3 Glass Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz No. 209 Gin)

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

*Happier and Happier? or Hoarser and Hoarser? or Hazier and Hazier?

If you know anything about me by now, you know that any excuse to combine Gin and Cocchi Americano is a fine excuse to have another drink.

Definitely Hazier and Happier!

[eje]

Hanky Panky Cocktail

2 Dashes Fernet Branca.

1/2 Italian Vermouth. (1 1/2 oz Vya Sweet Vermouth)

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

Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top.

This is from a document I got from the Savoy Hotel:

...the American Bar at The Savoy was in situ by 1898  while the newly rebuilt Claridge’s which opened in the same year, had a separate bar, distinct from its other public rooms.  Even The Berkeley had an American Bar by the early years of the next century.

The first of a string of famous barmen in The Savoy’s American Bar was actually a barmaid, who had begun her employment at Claridge’s in 1899 .  Ada Coleman’s father had known Richard D’Oyly Carte, and when he died, D’Oyly Carte suggested that she might care to earn her living by working in the bar at Claridge’s, which had been newly opened in 1898.  “Coley” came over to the American Bar at The Savoy in July 1903, and retired in December 1924.  Her most famous creation was the Hanky Panky, which she invented for Sir Charles Hawtrey, and which was so named by him.

Much has been written about Ms. Coleman by such luminaries as the ladies of Lupec, (By Jove! Now That's The Real Hanky-Panky) and Dr. Cocktail (In his column in Imbibe! Magazine), so I won't cover that much. Besides, the above quote is all I've got to go on.

Though, in my usual stickler manner, I will note that the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel opened in 1898, and Ms. Coleman did not join as head barman until 1903. She wasn't the first head barman, just, "the first in a string of famous barmen," as the quote above notes.

As usual, I think it is worthwhile to pick a gin with some spine, if you're going to go Fifty-Fifty in a cocktail.

I've made the Hanky Panky before and enjoyed it. I can't say I thought, previously, that it was a great drink, just a very good drink. Something about this combination of ingredients, or my mood, really worked on the evening when I made it as above.

Maybe all the Gin and Sweet vermouth cocktails I've been making over the last couple weeks have given me better perspective, but this classic of Ms. Coleman's is definitely worth risking the consequences of a dalliance.

[bostonapothecary]

the "hanky panky" floated around boston bar menu's for a while (for a charity i think) so i drank quite a few. i think everyone served it in a 2:1 gin to sweet vermouth with a spoonful of fernet...

its a great drink. i think its beautiful for when you are on a date... there is even a sexual tension in the flavors... the mentholated intensely freshening character of the fernet is the perfect aperatief for a kiss... its intensity fades slightly as the drink warms... and then the over the top body of the drink (at any ratio) has the physique for the S&M, will fight back experience that adult and sporting drinkers look for...

good stuff.

if Henry Lyman wrote the recipe he'd say "for any number of drinks you intend to make add a spoonful of fernet to each required number of Lone Trees"

Edited May 2, 2008 by bostonapothecary (log)

[eje]

Sadly, I still have never seen a bottle of Malacca Gin here in San Francisco. However, some Internet friends (Thanks Mike and Jenny!) ran across a few bottles and were kind enough to share. Who am I to say no?

H.P.W. Cocktail

1/2 Italian Vermouth. (1 1/2 oz Vya Sweet Vermouth)

1/2 Tom Gin. (1 1/2 oz Tanqueray Malacca)

(dash Mesquite Gum Syrup)

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

Robert Vermeire, in his book, "Drinks: How to Mix Them," has an interesting note about the H.P.W Cocktail:

This cocktail was invented by the famous bar-tender “Charlie,” of the Racquet Club in New York, as a compliment to the prominent millionaire member of the Club, Mr. Harry Payne Whitney.

Millionaire is a bit of an understatement, as at his death in 1930, Harry Payne Whitney was estimated to be worth $62,808,000. His wife, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney was no slouch either. Daughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt II, she was a sculptor and patron of the arts who later went on to found the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Yep, that's another perfectly fine Martinez type variation.

[eje]

Harrovian Cocktail

1 Dash Angostura Bitters.

1 Teaspoonful Orange Juice. (1 teaspoon clementine juice)

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

1 Glass Dry Gin. (2 oz Plymouth Gin)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Orange Peel.)

"Harrovian" appears to be a term which refers to those who attend Harrow School and also the alumni of that organization. Harrow School is an English Boarding school for boys which, even now, hews very closely to tradition.

Another cocktail that falls outside of the bounds of those which have survived to the 21st Century. Basically, a bittered, citrusey, super-extra-dry Martini, this ain't kid stuff. I have to say I warmed to it as I sipped.

Still having most of the juice of a clementine and half a lemon left over, I also tried making it with those and an ounce and a half of gin. Definitely preferred the austere restraint of the original over the fruitier variation.

Edited May 4, 2008 by eje (log)

[eje]

Harry’s Cocktail

1/3 Gancia Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Vya Sweet Vermouth)

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

2/3 Gin. (1 1/2 oz Beefeater's Gin)

2 Sprigs of Fresh Mint.

Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. Serve with a stuffed olive.

Sorry, didn't think to add the olive until after I took the picture.

For some reason, which doesn't quite make sense to me, this didn't do much for me. This completely puzzles me, as Sweet Vermouth, Absinthe, Gin, and Mint should pretty much be a gimme. I'm not sure if it is the Vya, the Lucid, the Beefeater's, or a combination of the above that didn't work.

I mean it certainly seemed to have enough potential.

I should probably just go back and re-make it with Tanqueray and Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth...

[thirtyoneknots]

Harry’s Cocktail

1/3 Gancia Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Vya Sweet Vermouth)

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

2/3 Gin. (1 1/2 oz Beefeater's Gin)

2 Sprigs of Fresh Mint.

Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. Serve with a stuffed olive.

Sorry, didn't think to add the olive until after I took the picture.

For some reason, which doesn't quite make sense to me, this didn't do much for me.  This completely puzzles me, as Sweet Vermouth, Absinthe, Gin, and Mint should pretty much be a gimme.  I'm not sure if it is the Vya, the Lucid, the Beefeater's, or a combination of the above that didn't work.

I mean it certainly seemed to have enough potential.

I should probably just go back and re-make it with Tanqueray and Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth...

←

Seems like you would need to shake this one, to incorporate the mint, perhaps that's part of the problem. But yeah it could also be another issue of Vya not doing right.

[eje]

Seems like you would need to shake this one, to incorporate the mint, perhaps that's part of the problem. But yeah it could also be another issue of Vya not doing right.

←

You know, a lot of people seem to have the impression that mint needs to abused to flavor a drink.

This is absolutely not true.

It is OK to abuse mint in a drink with strong citrus flavors, like a mojito. The citrus will cover up the sour and vegetal plant flavors from the goo inside the leaves.

But in the case of a drink like this, you just want the flavor and scent of mint.

When I made the Fascinator, (Gin, Dry Vermouth, Absinthe, Mint,) with Jennifer Colliau at Slanted Door I sort of surprised her when I told her I thought the mint was in the cocktail not a garnish, so I got her to add the leaves to the cocktail she was stirring.

We were both amazed at how clearly the mint flavor and scent was expressed without having to mash the leaves or shake the cocktail. It was sort of an "Ah Ha!" moment for both of us.

To be boring, generally scented substances like menthol are manufactured in glands near the surface of the plant leaf. Usually, the mechanism for their release is brushing against the small hairs on the leaf surface.

Edited May 5, 2008 by eje (log)

[eje]

Harry’s Pick-Me-Up Cocktail

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

1 Glass Brandy. (2 oz Cerbois VSOP Armangac)

The Juice of 1/2 Lemon. (About 3/4 oz Lemon Juice)

Shake well and strain into medium sized wine glass, and fill balance with Champagne (Louis Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne Brut). (Lemon Peel.)

There are a few "Pick-Me-Up" cocktail in the Savoy Cocktail Book. Cecil, I.B.F., Nineteen-Twenty, and Roosevelt. I don't really see much commonality, but I would guess they're more or less synonymous with "Corpse Revivers". Drinks to get your pounding head restarted the morning after...

Anyway, Harry's Pick-Me-Up is a dry and enjoyable refresher which I imagine, without much tweaking, could have some legs in today's world. You'd just have to convince folks, somehow, that they aren't drinking a pink French 75.

[thirtyoneknots]

Seems like you would need to shake this one, to incorporate the mint, perhaps that's part of the problem. But yeah it could also be another issue of Vya not doing right.

←

You know, a lot of people seem to have the impression that mint needs to abused to flavor a drink.

This is absolutely not true.

It is OK to abuse mint in a drink with strong citrus flavors, like a mojito. The citrus will cover up the sour and vegetal plant flavors from the goo inside the leaves.

But in the case of a drink like this, you just want the flavor and scent of mint.

When I made the Fascinator, (Gin, Dry Vermouth, Absinthe, Mint,) with Jennifer Colliau at Slanted Door I sort of surprised her when I told her I thought the mint was in the cocktail not a garnish, so I got her to add the leaves to the cocktail she was stirring.

We were both amazed at how clearly the mint flavor and scent was expressed without having to mash the leaves or shake the cocktail. It was sort of an "Ah Ha!" moment for both of us.

To be boring, generally scented substances like menthol are manufactured in glands near the surface of the plant leaf. Usually, the mechanism for their release is brushing against the small hairs on the leaf surface.

←

Point taken, though I had been thinking though that a gentle roll might be necessary given the intensity of the Vya (which my memory may be exaggerating slightly).

Edited May 6, 2008 by thirtyoneknots (log)

[eje]

Harvard Cocktail

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters.

1 Dash Syrup. (1/3 tsp Mesquite Gum Syrup)

1/2 Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Cerbois VSOP Armangac)

1/2 Italian Vermouth. (1 1/2 oz Vya Sweet Vermouth)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Rose Geranium Flowers.)

Sorry to go all "Farmers' Market" and flowery on you. I've been experimenting with taking pictures outside and this picture just wasn't working without anything else for garnish. The clusters of Geranium flowers caught my eye. They look cool, but don't really smell or taste like anything.

It seems to me that the Brandy Manhattan has been covered at least a few times before in the Savoy Cocktail Book. I guess they are fond of them at Harvard. For what it is worth, I found the Vya Sweet Vermouth, Bitters, and Brandy in the Harvard a much better combination than the Vya, Absinthe, Mint, and Gin in the Harry's Cocktail. It is quite an enjoyable cocktail.

[Chris Amirault]

Sorry to go all "Farmers' Market" and flowery on you. 

←

So west coast. Me, I drank a Rusty Nail last night on the banks of the mighty Blackstone River, watching the tires float by. Guess the garnish.

[eje]

So west coast. Me, I drank a Rusty Nail last night on the banks of the mighty Blackstone River, watching the tires float by. Guess the garnish.

←

Hey, at least you've got a river.

All I've got is the sound of the US-101/I-280 interchange.

If you close your eyes, it sounds like the sea...

[bostonapothecary]

Harvard Cocktail

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters.

1 Dash Syrup. (1/3 tsp Mesquite Gum Syrup)

1/2 Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Cerbois VSOP Armangac)

1/2 Italian Vermouth. (1 1/2 oz Vya Sweet Vermouth)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.  (Rose Geranium Flowers.)

Sorry to go all "Farmers' Market" and flowery on you.  I've been experimenting with taking pictures outside and this picture just wasn't working without anything else for garnish.  The clusters of Geranium flowers caught my eye.  They look cool, but don't really smell or taste like anything.

It seems to me that the Brandy Manhattan has been covered at least a few times before in the Savoy Cocktail Book.  I guess they are fond of them at Harvard.  For what it is worth, I found the Vya Sweet Vermouth, Bitters, and Brandy in the Harvard a much better combination than the Vya, Absinthe, Mint, and Gin in the Harry's Cocktail.  It is quite an enjoyable cocktail.

←

funny, the former president of harvard was in the restaurant tonight. i can see him drinking something like that back in his day but i don't think they would add syrup and i'm sure they would be anal about a french made vermouth...

[TVC]

So "West Coast" in a good way. Eje, that is a beautiful looking drink. By comparison, I drank an insultingly ungarnished cocktail called the "Prescription" tonight and will barely sleep tonight through the commercial truck, air break-racket of the BQE (101/I-280 sounds like gentle summer rain in comparison). I wonder if I can switch out the mesquite syrup with crema de mezcal? One way to find out...

[eje]

Hasty Cocktail

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

4 Dashes Grenadine. (1 tsp. Fee's American Beauty)

1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)

2/3 Nicholson's Gin. (1 1/2 oz Junipero, dash Mesquite Gum Syrup)

Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Lemon Peel.)

As near as I can tell, Nicholson's was an Old-Tom, so Junipero with a dash of Gum is standing in.

OK, the garnish was a dumb idea.

I was looking around the kitchen for my peeler or channel knife (Sigh. People who have never worked in a kitchen just don't understand the importance of putting things away in the same place after washing.) and ran across the microplane. I thought to myself, "Hey, a delicate sprinkling of lemon peel snow. That will be cool." Actually, it did taste kind of cool, just not the most appealing to choke down, what with the little hair-like lemon peel pieces and all.

Nice cocktail.

[eje]

[...] I wonder if I can switch out the mesquite syrup with crema de mezcal? One way to find out...

←

I've never seen that liqueur.

Kind of confused by the Del Maguey website.

Is it a cream liqueur? Or just Mezcal sweetened with Agave Syrup.

If you've got Gum Syrup, that's what I'd use. Or if you've got Agave Syrup, also probably fine. The Mesquite Gum Syrup is what I've got right now for Syrup.

Reminds me I need to track down some of the Gum Syrup Jennifer Colliau is making these days for bars. I tried her Pineapple Gum and found it quite amazing. They're currently using it in an awesome Pisco Punch at Beretta.

[TVC]

Crema de mezcal seems to simply be mezcal sweetened with agave, yes. I don't know anything about it either, I just grabbed it recently under the simple impulse of not having ever seen it before.

My experiments with gum syrup have been mixed but I think it probably has to do with my source for gum arabic, at a little spice store in NYC, not being very consistent. It didn't say food grade but I tried it anyway and the viscosity was great. After another purchase, it seemed to give off a noticeable cardboard smell.

[slkinsey]

Re gum Arabic and gomme syrup, buy the gum Arabic from these guys and make the syrup according to the instructions in this thread.

[bostonapothecary]

Crema de mezcal seems to simply be mezcal sweetened with agave, yes. I don't know anything about it either, I just grabbed it recently under the simple impulse of not having ever seen it before.

My experiments with gum syrup have been mixed but I think it probably has to do with my source for gum arabic, at a little spice store in NYC, not being very consistent. It didn't say food grade but I tried it anyway and the viscosity was great. After another purchase, it seemed to give off a noticeable cardboard smell.

←

the last pack of gum arabic i got from "angel brand" had seeds in it, a thorn, and some other random junk... it also didn't small that good. i'm a bigger fan of maltodextrin... clean, granular, easy to dissolve...

has anyone ever used something like saba in a cocktail?

[eje]

Havana Cocktail

1 Dash Lemon Juice.

1/4 Dry Gin. (1/2 oz Northshore Distillers #6)

1/4 Swedish Punch. (1/2 oz Swedish Punch, homemade)

1/2 Apricot Brandy. (1 oz R&W Orchard Apricot)

Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Lemon Peel.)

Not undrinkably sweet, but pretty darn close. And what are those Cubans doing with Gin, Swedish Punch, and Apricot Brandy?

Havana Cocktail

1 Dash Lemon Juice.

1/4 Dry Gin. (1/2 oz Northshore Distillers #6)

1/4 Swedish Punch. (1/2 oz Swedish Punch, homemade)

1/2 Apricot Brandy. (1 oz Haus Alpenz Marillen Apricot Eau-de-Vie)

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

With a dash of bitters, this would be absolutely delicious.

The amazing thing is how the Swedish Punch dominates the first cocktail, and the second tastes of nothing but Apricot.

I think it is unlikely that Apricot Eau-de-Vie was intended here, especially since the upcoming Hesitation is a nearly identical recipe with 3/4 Swedish Punch instead of the Apricot and Swedish punch. However, making it with Eau-de-Vie is worth a shot, if you've got it in the house. Very tasty.

[eje]

Hawaiian Cocktail

4 Parts Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin)

2 Parts Orange Juice. (3/4 oz fresj Orange Juice)

1 Part Curacao (or any other of the Orange Liqueurs) (Barspoon Brizard Orange Curacao)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Went a bit light on the Curacao, for the recipe. The orange I was using was pretty sweet.

A pleasant, non-demanding cocktail.

[thirtyoneknots]

I think it is unlikely that Apricot Eau-de-Vie was intended here, especially since the upcoming Hesitation is a nearly identical recipe with 3/4 Swedish Punch instead of the Apricot and Swedish punch.  However, making it with Eau-de-Vie is worth a shot, if you've got it in the house.  Very tasty.

←

Baker's Hotel Nacional Special hails from Prohibition-era Cuba and specifies dry apricot brandy, so I don't think it's a stretch at all.