Cocktails That Will Never Work -- But They Do

[slkinsey]

My curiosity was piqued by a post of Gary Regan's a while back, describing a cocktail known as the Twentieth Century:

Text from Joy of Mixology

The Twentieth Century Cocktail

Family:  International Sours

Detailed in Café Royal Cocktail Book, 1937, this drink was created by a certain C. A. Tuck.  Dr. Cocktail brought it to my attention a few years ago, and I've been mixing and drinking it ever since.  The citrus juice acts as a foil to the sweet liqueur in this delightful drink, but it's the mixture of gin and chocolate in this drink that intrigues me.  Who would think that these two flavors would have a harmonious marriage?  Did C. A. Tuck envisage these flavors before he put the drink together?  We'll never know, but however he came up with the formula, nobody can argue with the fact that this drink is a masterpiece.

1½ ounces gin

½ ounce Lillet Blonde

½ ounce white crème de cacao

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

[some reformatting by me]

My thinking went something like this: Gin and Lillet Blonde? Okay. Gin and lemon? Okay. Lemon and chocolate? Ummmmmm, I don't think so. Gin and chocolate?! No way!

I had to try it, of course. And, you know what? It really works? I'm not sure how it works, exactly, but it does. The Twentieth Century Cocktail has now become a favorite in the slkinsey household.

I'm curious to hear from other eGulleters about cocktails that seem like they won't work, but which turn out to work great after all.

[Dan Ryan]

The original Alexander used gin and chocloate, didn't it?

All I can give you is one of my creations. Maybe the mixture of liqueurs might seem a bit unlikely to some:

The Boadicea

2 shots bourbon

1 shot amaretto

1 shot campari

1 shot creme de bananes

2 dashes angostura bitters

2 dashes peychaud's bitters

Six ingredients, all booze. Enjoy. Hopefully.

[beans]

The original Alexander used gin and chocloate, didn't it?

Yes.

[JAZ]

Another drink that Gary mentioned on the Q&A, The Blood and Sand, is one that seemed unlikely to me. It contains Scotch, sweet vermouth, cherry brandy and orange juice. I thought Scotch and orange juice couldn't possibly work together, but it works quite well, sort of reminiscent of a Scotch version of a Bronx or a Satan's Whiskers.

Incidentally, Gary's recipe was one part each Scotch, sweet vermouth, cherry brandy, and orange juice. Dr. Cocktail suggested slightly more Scotch and orange juice than vermouth and brandy. My preference is for about 1 1/2 parts Scotch to one part of each of the other three ingredients.

My main problem with this drink is that it's not attractive. Really ugly, in fact. Brownish, opaque -- sort of what you'd expect blood and sand to look like. Come to think of it, though, the Bronx and Satan's Whiskers aren't the greatest looking drinks either. It's the combination of sweet vermouth and orange juice, I guess.

[MsRamsey]

A few of us tried the Blood and Sand a few weeks ago using that recipe, and none of us liked it enough to make it again.

[Dan Ryan]

Replace the orange juice in the blood and sand with grapefruit juice (equal parts scotch, cherry brandy, juice, red vermouth). It's superb.

[slkinsey]

I thought the Blood and Sand was interesting, but found myself thinking it would be better served over ice with a splash of soda instead of up in a cocktail glass.

[MsRamsey]

Replace the orange juice in the blood and sand with grapefruit juice (equal parts scotch, cherry brandy, juice, red vermouth). It's superb.

Will do. That does sound good, and the Cherry Heering needs to be used up anyway.

[slkinsey]

. . . the Cherry Heering needs to be used up anyway.

Don't be so fast to use it up... it may be a while before you find any more. Currently it is not being imported into the US.

[trillium]

My main problem with this drink is that it's not attractive. Really ugly, in fact. Brownish, opaque -- sort of what you'd expect blood and sand to look like. Come to think of it, though, the Bronx and Satan's Whiskers aren't the greatest looking drinks either. It's the combination of sweet vermouth and orange juice, I guess.

I make both (but prefer the Bronx) with sour orange juice instead of regular orange juice, and they are both a really nice color. I think I've used Punt e Mes and regular old Gallo when I couldn't find Punt e Mes.

I actually hate regular orange juice in a cocktail, the ones that have it are almost always too sweet for me. If I couldn't find sour oranges, I think I'd use a tart tangerine over a regular old orange.

regards,

trillium

[JAZ]

A few of us tried the Blood and Sand a few weeks ago using that recipe, and none of us liked it enough to make it again.

I've found that I like much less vermouth and cherry brandy than Gary's recipe called for. I've settled on 2 oz. scotch, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, scant 1/2 oz. cherry brandy, and about 1 1/4 oz. orange juice. I've been using blood orange juice for cocktails (blood oranges being on sale at my produce store) and find I like them better -- I think they're a little more tart, so the drinks don't end up so sweet. And the drink looks better, too.

But back to Sam's original post in this thread, about the Twentieth Century Cocktail:

My thinking went something like this: Gin and Lillet Blonde? Okay. Gin and lemon? Okay. Lemon and chocolate? Ummmmmm, I don't think so. Gin and chocolate?! No way!

I had to try it, of course. And, you know what? It really works? I'm not sure how it works, exactly, but it does.

I finally tried it, and I hate to say it, but it just doesn't work for me. It's not the gin and chocolate, it's the lemon and chocolate. Everytime I try that combination, I'm disappointed. This was no exception. It wasn't awful, but it won't be in my usual rotation.

[slkinsey]

Hmm. Interesting. Well, everyone can't like everything.

I've heard that there are even people who don't like gin.

[beans]

Tho' I still keep trying to....

[JAZ]

Hmm. Interesting. Well, everyone can't like everything.

Okay, you shamed me into trying it again, and it was much better this time. I think the problem the first time I tried it was that I used Meyer lemon juice, which is not nearly as acidic as regular lemon juice. Also, I must have overpoured the cacao, because the chocolate was more prevalent in the first attempt.

However, I've been drinking something very similar but with Velvet Falernum instead of the cacao, and I like that so much better that I doubt I'll switch.

[slkinsey]

Hmm.  Interesting.  Well, everyone can't like everything.

Okay, you shamed me into trying it again, and it was much better this time.

hee hee hee!

I think the problem the first time I tried it was that I used Meyer lemon juice, which is not nearly as acidic as regular lemon juice. Also, I must have overpoured the cacao, because the chocolate was more prevalent in the first attempt.

Right. That might have been it. This is a drink where I think you really need the acid kick of regular lemon juice to obscure the white creme de cacao until the finish. At least when I make them, the chocolate flavor is only substantially present in the finish. I wonder, also, if there may be differences in the strength of flavor between different brands of white creme de cacao. I think I have Laird's, just because that happened to be what the store had when I went out to buy some. Perhaps this is a milder brand than yours?

I've been drinking something very similar but with Velvet Falernum instead of the cacao, and I like that so much better that I doubt I'll switch.

Sounds tasty. There are a lot of interesting drinks that could be made on a similar formula.

Another drink I've had that I didn't think would work (also from Gary Regan's newest booK) are "squirrel sours." These are drinks made with a base liquor, citrus juice and creme de noyeau or some other nut-flavored liqueur. I made one with gin, Frangelico and lemon juice that turned out to be really good. Again, I wouldn't have thought that hazelnut would go with either gin or lemon... but there it is.

[Blondie]

After a push from slkinsey during our post-Totonno’s chat, I took up the challenge. I acquired some Lillet and crème de cacao and started mixing up Twentieth Centuries. Each night I’d vary the recipe slightly and concluded that the proportions that Sam settled on worked best for me too. Once I located a bottle of Luxardo I added Aviations into the rotation, but I’m really hooked on the Twentieth Century. After so many years of being stuck in a wine and beer rut, these seemingly irreconcilable ingredients now have me totally enthralled by the alchemy of alcohol.

[stephenc]

Obviously.....

L. I. Tea

This little drink never ceases to amaze me.

[JAZ]

This is a drink where I think you really need the acid kick of regular lemon juice to obscure the white creme de cacao until the finish.  At least when I make them, the chocolate flavor is only substantially present in the finish.  I wonder, also, if there may be differences in the strength of flavor between different brands of white creme de cacao.  I think I have Laird's, just because that happened to be what the store had when I went out to buy some.  Perhaps this is a milder brand than yours?

I've been drinking something very similar but with Velvet Falernum instead of the cacao, and I like that so much better that I doubt I'll switch.

Sounds tasty. There are a lot of interesting drinks that could be made on a similar formula.

Another similar drink I finally got around to trying is one Dr. Cocktail mentioned at one point -- the Corpse Reviver (II). It's equal parts gin, Lillet, triple sec and lemon juice, with a mere trickle of Pernod added. Maybe because I really like licorice, I love this drink. The Pernod gives the drink just a hint of licorice, similar to the way the creme de cacao gives just a hint of chocolate.

Definitely worth trying if you like the 20th Century.

[slkinsey]

Sounds nice. I had a drink at Landmarc the other day they called a "French Gimlet." It was gin (although they usually make it with vodka), fresh lime juice, Rose's lime juice and the glass was rinsed with Ricard. Although lime with licorice sounds odd, it turned out to be really tasty.

[phaelon56]

Obviously.....

L. I. Tea

This little drink never ceases to amaze me.

And how do you make yours? Does it include only clear liquors? I have seen so many variations.... some with whiskey, some without... some that include peach schnapps, others that leave it out...

When I was serving them I sometimes just winged it but the typical mix was a short 2 count (about 3/4 oz each) of vodka, gin, rum, tequila and peach schnapps, topped with generic bar sour mix and then just enough cola spritz to color it.

[beans]

Our standard LIT:

In an ice filled tin add half an ounce of vodka, rum, gin and triple sec. Add sour, flash blend, empty into glass and top with cola.

We dropped adding the tequila as our bar manager felt that 2 ounces of liquor was sufficient per drink -- people who slam them down and drink five within one hour are a bit tiresome! Thankfully those drinks are not in such demand anymore.

[phaelon56]

people who slam them down and drink five within one hour are a bit tiresome!

I represent that remark at least I used to. Those weren't the days.

[slkinsey]

Had a Fernet Branca and Coke last night at Franny's. Sounds terrible. Is actually really good. Who knew? Will be interested to try it at home with Branca Menta.

[beans]

Oh! All of this Fernet!

Branca!

Menta!

I remember seeing a bottle of Fernet Menta somewhere on my travels, can't remember where though and I didn't taste it.

Must. Obtain. A. Bottle.

Edited July 9, 2004 by beans (log)

[JAZ]

Had a Fernet Branca and Coke last night at Franny's. Sounds terrible. Is actually really good. Who knew? Will be interested to try it at home with Branca Menta.

Once when I ordered a Fernet and soda, the bartender inadvertently added ginger ale instead. Turned out to be pretty good.