Stomping Through the "Savoy" (2007–2008)

[eje]

Knickerbocker Special Cocktail

1 Teaspoonful Raspberry Syrup. (Monin Raspberry Syrup)

1 Teaspoonful Lemon Juice.

1 Teaspoonful Orange Juice.

1 Chunk of Pineapple.

2/3 Rum. (1 1/2 oz Inner Circle Green Rum)

2 Dashes of Curacao. (2/3 tsp. Luxardo Triplum)

(Muddle pineapple in juices and spirits. Ice, shake, and double strain into a cocktail glass.)

According to Mr. Wondrich's book, "Imbibe!" The Knickerbocker was a popular cocktail in the mid to late 19th Century.

Jerry Thomas included a version of the drink in his 1862 book, which went like so:

Knickerbocker

(Use Small Bar-Glass.)

1/2 a lime or lemon, squeeze out the juice, and put rind and juice in the glass.

2 tea-spoonsfuls of Raspberry Syrup.

1 Wine-Glass Santa Cruz Rum.

1/2 Teaspoonful of Curacao.

Cool with shaved ice; shake up well, and ornament with berries in season.  If this is not sweet enough, put in a little more raspberry Syrup

Uh, oops. Well, if I had known that when I was making it, I would have given this drink the same controversial treatment I gave the King Cole!

Wondrich goes on to add about the Knickerbocker, "With its rum and its lime juice, its syrups and liqueurs, the Knickerbocker is the spiritual progenitor of the Tiki Drink. Think of it as an 1850s Mai Tai--similar drink, different island."

Even in its, "somewhat bastardized form," here in the Savoy Cocktail Book it is a very good drink for a hot day. A tad girly with the raspberry syrup, but with a pleasing and harmonious flavor that belies the seriousness of the rum lurking in the background.

edit - fixed instructions a bit.

Edited July 1, 2008 by eje (log)

[brinza]

Even in its, "somewhat bastardized form," here in the Savoy Cocktail Book it is a very good drink for a hot day.  A tad girly with the raspberry syrup, but the with a pleasing and harmonious flavor that belies the seriousness of the rum lurking in the background.

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I've been making this drink a lot lately, and my wife is even hooked on them (it's one of only a few drinks that we both like). I first made Ted Haigh's version, the Knickerbocker a la Monsieur, and I've also used the original recipe from Imbibe! In Ted Haigh's book, it calls for Virgin Islands rum, so I tried Sailor Jerry's Navy Rum, which even though that's a spiced rum, worked quite well. So, to complement the spice of the rum I use Clement Creole Shrubb in lieu of the curacao. Delicious. This drink seems to lend itself quite well to variation.

[eje]

Knock Out Cocktail

1 Teaspoonful White Crème de Menthe. (Brizard White Creme de Menthe)

1/3 Absinthe. (3/4 oz Absinthe Verte de Fougerolles)

1/3 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz Beefeater Gin)

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

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Garnish with a spanked Mint Sprig.)

Well, this is a lot better than the Glad Eye, and maybe demonstrates a bit better than that cocktail the power of the combination of Absinthe and Mint.

Still, the name is pretty apropos...

[eje]

I know jmfangio suggested perhaps Fee's Aromatic Bitters might be a more appropriate bittering agent.  Which of the other various bitters currently available has the most quinine character?

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I guess it would come down to The Bitter Truth, which I haven't tried, and Hermes (I have the Orange, but not the Aromatic bitters).

I'm thinking of making another batch of orange bitters, and tweaking it to try and bring some of that Cocchi magic to Lillet cocktails. So, up the cinchona, add a little cinnamon, eliminate and/or reduce the coriander and caraway....

I'm still working this one out in my head.

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TBT Aromatic Bitters are good, have a very nice flavor profile, but I find them to be a little lacking in concentration and thus somewhat tricky to use (it seems to be very easy to make a drink too bitter without adding enough flavor). Hermes aromatic on the other hand, might be the blandest bitters I have ever tasted.

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Rats. Well, I guess it's time to make my own Kina Lillet clone.

Though, by the way, the nice folks at Corti Bros tell me they expect to have Cocchi Americano back in stock some time next week. Crossing my fingers!

[eje]

Kola Tonic Cocktail

1/3 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz Broker's Gin)

2/3 Kola Tonic. (1 1/2 oz Rose's Cola Tonic)

2 Dashes Orange Bitters. (Dash Fee's, Dash Regan's Orange Bitters)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

When I was thinking about this during the day today, I thought it would be pretty awful.

But, I thought there would be enough there for me to find it interesting and re-do it as a long drink over ice and with an orange twist.

It might be a cultural thing, but I found it just too medicinal to even play with.

I'll admit I tried a Burdock natural soda the last time I was in England that wasn't far from these flavors. And the drink is less off balance than I expected. There is a nice bit of bitterness.

However, it totally tastes like cough syrup to me.

[bostonapothecary]

Kola Tonic Cocktail

1/3 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz Broker's Gin)

2/3 Kola Tonic. (1 1/2 oz Rose's Cola Tonic)

2 Dashes Orange Bitters. (Dash Fee's, Dash Regan's Orange Bitters)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

When I was thinking about this during the day today, I thought it would be pretty awful.

But, I thought there would be enough there for me to find it interesting and re-do it as a long drink over ice and with an orange twist.

It might be a cultural thing, but I found it just too medicinal to even play with.

I'll admit I tried a Burdock natural soda the last time I was in England that wasn't far from these flavors.  And the drink is less off balance than I expected.  There is a nice bit of bitterness.

However, it totally tastes like cough syrup to me.

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even with clayton's i think those ratio's would be gross. i changed a bag of "on the gun" cola and there was a little syrup left so i gave it to the pastry chef to try and play with. well i was the only one that liked the resulting sorbet... i thought everyone liked cola? it must be a cultural thing... i mixed the syrup with equal parts lime juice and made a lemonaide out of it. bitter it up and i like it.

[eje]

Kup’s Indispensable Cocktail

1 Dash Absinthe. (1/3 tsp. Sirene Absinthe Verte)

1/8 Italian Vermouth. (1/4 oz Carpano Antica)

1/4 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)

5/8 Dry Gin. (1 1/4 oz Junipero Gin)

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

The other month a bartender asked me what I'd have. Spying a "Gin and It" on the menu, I said, "Jesus Christ, anything but the Gin and It." At the time I was around the area of the intersection between the letters G and H and all I was making was Gin and Italian Vermouth cocktails. I went on to clarify, "It seems like every cocktail I've made for the last week is nothing but Gin, Italian Vermouth, and a dash of this or that." I further went on to say it was interesting how different the cocktails could be, even though they were made with essentially the same two base ingredients. I think I must have been boring him a bit by this point, as he sort of mumbled something like, "Well, isn't that the point of the whole exercise?"

I don't know if that really is the point of the whole exercise, or if, indeed, the whole exercise actually has a "point," but here we are at another Martini/Martinez variation pretty much within "Free Pour Error" of the Fourth Degree.

Kup's Indispensable has less Absinthe, the balance of ingredients tipped towards Gin and Dry Vermouth, and an Orange Twist instead of lemon.

I have to admit, at this point in my life, I lean towards the richer flavor of the Savoy Fourth Degree Cocktail. Still, this cocktail is tasty and does have a really great name.

Edited July 4, 2008 by eje (log)

[eje]

"K" was the shortest letter so far, with only 10 cocktails.

Started with the interesting, but ultimately disappointing K.C.B.. There's the bones of a good cocktail in there, with some tweaking. The Savoy version, though, was tough going for me.

Did some experimentation with Lillet, Vermouth, Bitters and Cocchi Americano when making the Kina Lillet Cocktail.

Enjoyed a fruity Old-Fashioned variation spiked with Fernet Branca in the King Cole.

The Kingston Cocktail was enjoyable to me. Interesting that it uses not one, but two, obscure liqueurs, Pimento Dram and Kummel.

Both the Knickerbocker and the Knickerbocker Special were quite enjoyable. The Knickerbocker Special, especially, I think would have some legs on modern cocktail lists.

The Knock Out and Kola Tonic were the closest to undrinkable K cocktails. Especially the Kola Tonic. Yuck.

Finished off with Kup's Indispensable, a very good cocktail with an even better name.

Off to "L"-Land.

[eje]

Kup’s Indispensable Cocktail

[...]

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Hey, maybe Kup's Indispensable is named after Irv Kupcinet?

From wikipedia:

Irv Kupcinet (July 31, 1912 – November 10, 2003) was an American newspaper columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and a broadcast personality based in Chicago, Illinois. He was popularly known by the nickname "Kup".

Brimming Kup, Time Magazine, September 13, 1948

Thirteen years ago, Kup was a $32.50-a-week sportwriter on the Times. Son of a West Side bakery driver, he worked his way through Northwestern and the University of North Dakota, was a quarterback and college publicity man. His career as a pro footballer (with the Philadelphia Eagles) lasted only five games; a shoulder injury turned him into a sport reporter. In 1943 the Times let him try a column. Cracked Kup: "I spent all my time in nightclubs anyway."

Edited July 4, 2008 by eje (log)

[slkinsey]

Finished off with Kup's Indispensable, a very good cocktail with an even better name.

Do you suppose this is a misspelling of the Tups Indispensable Dry Fly? Perhaps a customer at one point was a fly fishing enthusiast?

The linked page says:

A deservedly popular fly designed by Mr R.S.Austin, a tobacconist of Tiverton in Devon, South West England in 1900. He dressed and sold flies as a sideline. This version of the old 'Tup' pattern is popular when pale midge or mayflies are on the menu. It is fished dry on the water and moved slowly amongst fish that are feeding near the surface. It can be used effectively in these conditions or for high summer when reduced water flow and high temperatures can make the trout very fussy. It is a useful pattern used to represent light colored mayfly like the pale watery or small spurwing female spinners.

Mr Austin sent a sample of dubbing with tying instructions on how to tie an unnamed fly pattern which he had found particularly successful in imitating female olive spinners to Mr G.E.M. Skues, father of modern nymph fishing. Skues followed the instructions and made the fly. He spent most of the following September testing the fly on his local water the River Ichen and was so impressed that he published his findings. He also found it was a very effective imitation of a Pale Watery natural insect. He is accredited with naming the fly and suggesting the addition of the crimson seal fur giving the thorax a pinkish hue. The recipe for the pattern was kept secret and thus Mr Austin obtained a monopoly on selling the fly. The article was widly read and lots of orders were placed. “The fly became so popular that Mr Austin became utterly sick of tying it,” Skues wrote in a letter. He was one of two people given the dressing secret by Mr Austin. It was kept a secret until after his daughter, who continued the business, had retired.

Why is it called Tup's Indispensable? Well the 'Indispensable' part comes from the fact that it should not be left out of your fly box as it is such a good fish taker. The 'Tup's' part of the flies name refers to a Ram, a male sheep that is used for breeding. In Britain farmers use a sponge or rag soaked in dye tied to the under side of the Ram. In the morning they inspect their flock and see which females have dye stained backs from being 'tupped' by the Ram. The original material for this fly was urine and dye stained wool taken from a ram's fleece mixed with lemon colored fur from a spaniel and a little yellow mohair, replaced later with crimson seal's fur. Do not panic! We use modern materials that are the same color but not as smelly.

[eje]

Finished off with Kup's Indispensable, a very good cocktail with an even better name.

Do you suppose this is a misspelling of the Tups Indispensable Dry Fly? Perhaps a customer at one point was a fly fishing enthusiast?

[...]

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Interesting idea!

I don't find it spelled that way in any other sources.

Irv Kupcinet was a sports writer, so perhaps his, or someone else's, idea of a jokey pun on his name and the name of the lure?

Edited July 4, 2008 by eje (log)

[eje]

Ladies’ Cocktail

2 Dashes Absinthe. (2/3 tsp. Sirene Absinthe Verte)

2 Dashes Anisette. (2/3 tsp. Anis del Mono dulce)

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters.

1 Glass of Canadian Club Whisky. (1 3/4 oz 40 Creek Barrel Select, 1/4 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon)

Stir well and put small piece of pineapple (1/4 orange slice) in glass.

Chuckle, I'd like to meet the Ladies who drink cocktails like this!

I am reminded of a recent episode at a bar.

At a bar near where I work, which is a kind of divey beer and whiskey kind of place, I decided to experiment and ask for a cocktail. "Manhattan, no cherry." Bartender gave me a look and went off to mix the cocktail. When he brought it back, he looked around and asked, "Is there someone with you? Did you want something else?" The implication being that the Manhattan had certainly to be for a girl that was accompanying me, and he expected me to order a proper man's drink like beer, whiskey, or whiskey rocks. I made a mental note and sipped my girly cocktail.

Anyway, the Ladies' Cocktail, effeminate or not, is quite tasty. Pretty similar to a Sazerac. If I weren't Savoy Stomping, I would make it with Rye Whiskey and be done with it.

[slkinsey]

Finished off with Kup's Indispensable, a very good cocktail with an even better name.

Do you suppose this is a misspelling of the Tups Indispensable Dry Fly? Perhaps a customer at one point was a fly fishing enthusiast?

[...]

Interesting idea!

I don't find it spelled that way in any other sources.

Irv Kupcinet was a sports writer, so perhaps his, or someone else's, idea of a jokey pun on his name and the name of the lure?

Wouldn't ole Irv have been about 18 years old when the Savoy Book published? Seems unlikely his name would have made it across the water and into the Savoy book at that tender age.

[eje]

Wouldn't ole Irv have been about 18 years old when the Savoy Book published?  Seems unlikely his name would have made it across the water and into the Savoy book at that tender age.

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1930 would have been about the time he won the football scholarship to Northwestern. I dunno if that would have been big enough news to have a cocktail named after him the same year.

Remembering Irv Kupcinet

Kup won a football scholarship to Northwestern University in 1930 but later transferred to where football opportunities for him would be better at the University of North Dakota at Grand Forks. He graduated in 1934.

Maybe, you're right and it's another Kup or a mis-spelling of Tup...

[eje]

Lasky Cocktail

1/3 Grape Juice. (3/4 oz Knudsen's Just Concord)

1/3 Swedish Punch. (3/4 oz Homeade Swedish Punch)

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

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Unfortunately, the Lasky caught me between Farmers' Markets, so I had to use store bought grape juice. The Knudsen Concord Grape juice doesn't quite have the tartness or complexity of my usual Twin Hill Ranch Grape Juice, making this a bit sweeter cocktail than it normally would be for me.

Still, all in all, a pretty tasty cocktail.

[bostonapothecary]

Lasky Cocktail

1/3 Grape Juice. (3/4 oz Knudsen's Just Concord)

1/3 Swedish Punch. (3/4 oz Homeade Swedish Punch)

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

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Unfortunately, the Lasky caught me between Farmers' Markets, so I had to use store bought grape juice.  The Knudsen Concord Grape juice doesn't quite have the tartness or complexity of my usual Twin Hill Ranch Grape Juice, making this a bit sweeter cocktail than it normally would be for me.

Still, all in all, a pretty tasty cocktail.

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could grape juice refer to verjus? concord grapes scare me...

[eje]

could grape juice refer to verjus? concord grapes scare me...

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I could be wrong, but I think the chances of "grape juice" in this recipe meaning verjus are pretty much nil. Don't let me stop you from trying it, though!

I really like Navarro's Chardonnay Verjus, but have never really found a way to get it to work in cocktails. Its delicate flavor and light acidity is blown away by just about any other cocktail ingredient. Though, perhaps I should try again, in a cocktail with a lot more verjus and less alcohol? What are those called? Reverse Cocktails?

[eje]

Lawhill Cocktail

1 Dash Absinthe. (1/3 tsp. Marteau Verte Classique)

1 Dash Maraschino. (1/3 tsp. Luxardo Maraschino)

1 Dash Angostura Bitters.

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

2/3 Canadian Club Whisky. (1 1/4 oz 40 Creek Barrel Select, 1/4 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon)

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

I liked this a lot, but I can say with confidence that I would have liked it even more with Sweet Vermouth instead of dry. Even just a dash of Sweet Vermouth. Of course, then it would just be an old-school Canadian Whisky Manhattan.

I'm told that Scotsman Harry McElhone published this cocktail in one of his early books. Law is apparently Scots for "Hill". The Law in Dundee Scotland is sometimes called "Law Hill" even though that actually means, "Hill Hill."

At a height of over 500 feet above sea level, Dundee Law provides a popular, easily accessed vantage point placed high above the centre of Dundee, Scotland's fourth largest city.  This long-since extinct volcano is featured on the local Dundee City Council logo (below) and its great height dominates the surrounding area, and can be seen from very many miles away. There is a viewpoint where visitors can scan the view and be informed of the many worthwhile scenes to be had, from the Grampian Mountains to the North and as far as the Southern Uplands of Lothian, south of Edinburgh.  Across the Firth of Tay can be seen the 'Kingdom' of Fife, travelling north across the Tay Road Bridge from where, the Law can be seen in full majesty. The famous Tay Rail Bridge can also be seen curving its way across the River Tay taking trains to Edinburgh and London.  Numerous other landmarks can be seen.

Also, there was a well known ship called the "Lawhill".

Lawhill was built at the Caledon Shipbuilding & Engineering Company yard of W. B. Thompson in Dundee, Scotland, and launched on 24 August 1892. Named after the Law, a hill in the middle of Dundee, Lawhill had been ordered by shipowner Charles Barrie for the jute trade, but only made two voyages carrying jute before the business became unprofitable, and shifted to other cargoes.

[eje]

Leap-Frog Cocktail

1 Lump of Ice. (few lumps fridge ice)

The Juice of 1/2 Lemon.

1 Glass Gin. (2 oz No. 209 Gin)

1 Split of Ginger Ale. (Reed's Extra Ginger Brew)

Serve in long tumbler.

I was hoping to garnish this with some delicious smelling Holy Basil I got from a couple weeks ago, but it didn't make it. So I stuck in a couple Tarragon sprigs I had in the fridge. The tarragon added nearly nothing to the cocktail aside from visual interest.

It's really hard to argue with this combo, especially on a hot day. Even if the rest of California is on fire.

If I were to quibble, I'd say, this is my first time trying Reed's "Extra Ginger Brew" and I was hoping for it to be a bit zestier. I dunno, maybe I've burned out all my taste buds, but I didn't find it particularly pungent.

[eje]

Leap Year Cocktail

1 Dash Lemon Juice. (OK, it was close to a teaspoon)

2/3 Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin)

1/6 Grand Marnier (1/2 of 3/4 oz Grand Marnier)

1/6 Italian vermouth. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Carpano Antica)

Shake (stir, I thought) well and serve in cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top.

This Cocktail was created by Harry Craddock, for the Leap Year celebrations at the Savoy Hotel, London, on February 29th, 1928. It is said to have been responsible for more proposals than any other cocktail that has ever been mixed.

First, I'm not quite sure this picture adequately conveys the loveliness of the color of this cocktail.

Second, wacky, I can't quite explain the flavor. Initially, it was the vanilla/caramel of the Antica which dominated. But as I settled in to enjoying it, it became stranger and kind of chocolate-ish. Definitely drier than I expected, but still pretty sweet at the same time. Cool.

I know there's been a lot of revision of this cocktail and cocktails like it.

Just want to encourage anyone to give it a try as written first, then work on variations. I dunno, maybe it doesn't need improvement.

[eje]

Leave It To Me Cocktail (No. 1)

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

1/4 Apricot Brandy. (1/2 oz Rothman & Winter Orchard Apricot)

1/4 French Vermouth (1/2 oz Dolin French Vermouth)

1 Dash Grenadine. (1/3 tsp. Fee's American Beauty)

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

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

Well, the cocktail is a lovely light rose in hue.

And the flavor is somewhat reminiscent of childhood flavors. Unfortunately, I'd say the flavors it reminds me of are some sort of slightly medicinal eccentric English candy.

I dunno, maybe if you're Heston Blumenthal, and nostalgia food is your thing, this might be just the ticket. Doesn't, however, do much for me.

[eje]

Leave It To Me Cocktail (No. 2)

1 Teaspoonful Raspberry Syrup. (1 teaspoon Monin Raspberry Syrup)

1 Teaspoonful Lemon Juice.

1 Dash Maraschino. (1/3 tsp. Luxardo Maraschino)

3/4 Glass Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin)

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

Now, we're talking.

This is a lovely cocktail, which definitely could use some revivification.

Admittedly a bit girly, being slightly pink and a bit fruity. Still it's not pink enough to cause alarm and with enough of a gin punch that I think any male secure in his manhood should have no problem with it.

Edited July 12, 2008 by eje (log)

[eje]

Lemon Pie Cocktail

1 Glass Scotch Whisky. (2 oz Famous Grouse Scotch)

1 bottle Lemonade. (Fever Tree Bitter Lemon)

(Patrick Gavin Duffy: Stir gently with 1 ice cube.)

No instructions for this one, so initially I wasn't sure if they were to be served separately or mixed together. Fortunately, Patrick Gavin Duffy included the above instructions in his "Official Mixer's Manual".

In the English vernacular, I'm told "Lemonade" refers to a carbonated beverage not dissimilar to 7-Up. Or perhaps those carbonated French Lemon Sodas.

In any case, I've wanted to try the Fever Tree Bitter Lemon for a while now, and this seemed like a fine excuse. As an experiment, I'd say it was a bit of a failure, as Scotch and Bitter Lemon didn't quite work for me. The Scotch already has enough character going in and the bitterness kind of clashed with it. Would have preferred plain lemon soda or, to be perfectly honest, plain soda water.

[thirtyoneknots]

I don't know how closely this really approximates the functioning of an old-school Soda Fountain, but I like to splash a bit of Monin (or other) lemon syrup in the glass and hit it with the syphon. Highly delicious and more 'lively' than commercial lemon-lime soda. If you want to add some lime syrup as well, use very little, like maybe 3 or 4 parts lemon to 1 part lime, maybe even less. Lime syrup tends to dominate the mixture if you're not careful.

[eje]

I don't know how closely this really approximates the functioning of an old-school Soda Fountain, but I like to splash a bit of Monin (or other) lemon syrup in the glass and hit it with the syphon. Highly delicious and more 'lively' than commercial lemon-lime soda. If you want to add some lime syrup as well, use very little, like maybe 3 or 4 parts lemon to 1 part lime, maybe even less. Lime syrup tends to dominate the mixture if you're not careful.

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Rats, I wish I had thought of that!