Cocktail 200

[eje]

May 13th is the 200th anniversary of one of the first published uses of the word "Cock tail" to refer to a mixed drink, ("Cock tail, then is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters it is vulgarly called a bittered sling,") in The Balance.

The anniversary will be celebrated by the Museum of the American Cocktail with events in New York and Las Vegas.

Cocktail 200

Sadly, I won't be making it to either of those events, and missed the Absinthe's "Bar School" event celebrating it here in San Francisco last thursday.

I believe I will serve Sazeracs before dinner, though.

How will you celebrate?

~Erik

edit - add link to absinthe bar school.

Edited May 14, 2006 by eje (log)

[Dave the Cook]

I wish I'd read this before sitting down with a Hemingway daiquiri. Either I'm going to have to rationalize the situation, or have a second cocktail.

Maybe both.

[JAZ]

Since I'm all out of Pernod, Herbsaint or any plausible Absinthe substitute, I couldn't make a Sazerac. However, I think an Old Fashioned Cocktail made according to Dave Wondrich's recipe in Killer Cocktails is a good way to celebrate, and a good way to break in my new bottle of Michter's rye.

[KatieLoeb]

I had a very finely concocted Red Breast Irish Manhattan at my favorite new bar in South Philly. Very tasty and a fitting tribute to cocktails in general.

[Jamie B]

For me it's got to be the Martinez. Thank you Jerry.

[eje]

Shaken and Stirred in today's NY Times covers the 200th birthday of the cocktail, talks about the branch of the Museum of the American Cocktail in NY, speaks to Mr. David Wondrich, and includes a recipe for his Improved Holland Gin Cocktail.

Cocktail, the Bicentennial*

For those of you slapping your foreheads this morning because you neglected the cocktail's birthday, stop slapping: a good cocktail is forgiving, and a belated toast beats none at all. Here's Mr. Wondrich's recommendation: "I can't think of anything more toothsome and appropriate than the so-called 'improved' version of the Holland gin cocktail, which was sucked down in vast numbers by the dudes, swells and sports of the city from around 1800 to the late 1880's."

*Link requires registration, and will probably expire after a couple weeks.