Stomping Through the "Savoy" (2006–2007)

[eje]

Brain-Storm Cocktail

1/2 Wineglass Irish Whisky (1 1/2 oz Red Breast Whisky)

2 Dashes Benedictine (1 Barspoon Benedictine)

2 Dashes French Vermouth (1 Barspoon Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth)

Squeeze orange peel on top. (Drop peel into mixing glass. - eje) Stir well and strain into cocktail glass.

I liked this one a lot, actually. It's fairly subtle, as cocktails go. Whisky, herby, orange. Sophisticated, I'd say.

Edited April 22, 2007 by eje (log)

[bostonapothecary]

Brain-Storm Cocktail

1/2 Wineglass Irish Whisky (1 1/2 oz Red Breast Whisky)

2 Dashes Benedictine (1 Barspoon Benedictine)

2 Dashes French Vermouth (1 Barspoon Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth)

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

I liked this one a lot, actually.  It's fairly subtle, as cocktails go.  Whisky, herby, orange.  Sophisticated, I'd say.

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that is my kind of a drink....double the benedictine and give me a spoon full of wray and nephews over proof and we'd have a winner.

[eje]

that is my kind of a drink....double the benedictine and give me a spoon full of wray and nephews over proof and we'd have a winner.

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I was already being pretty generous with both the whiskey portion and dash size; but, go ahead, sounds good to me. Adding the Wray & Nephew, you might need to call it Brain-Cell Eraser, or something...

The Brain-storm is an example of a single serving, volume based recipe. Allowing that the "Wineglass" measure is indeed about 2 oz, this would, as written, be a very small cocktail.

By the way, I do find some Brain-storm Cocktail recipes which call for Scotch instead of Irish. These usually use Italian Vermouth instead of French. In addition, in "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks", Embury makes this cocktail with Rye instead of Irish Whiskey.

[tkd7]

that is my kind of a drink....double the benedictine and give me a spoon full of wray and nephews over proof and we'd have a winner.

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I was already being pretty generous with both the whiskey portion and dash size; but, go ahead, sounds good to me. Adding the Wray & Nephew, you might need to call it Brain-Cell Eraser, or something...

The Brain-storm is an example of a single serving, volume based recipe. Allowing that the "Wineglass" measure is indeed about 2 oz, this would, as written, be a very small cocktail.

By the way, I do find some Brain-storm Cocktail recipes which call for Scotch instead of Irish. These usually use Italian Vermouth instead of French. In addition, in "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks", Embury makes this cocktail with Rye instead of Irish Whiskey.

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I may try the Scotch version. I love the Bobby Burns, so why not this. I don't have a bottle of Irish Whisky right now, this might be a reason.

[David Santucci]

I liked this one a lot, actually.  It's fairly subtle, as cocktails go.  Whisky, herby, orange.  Sophisticated, I'd say.

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Welcome back stateside eje. I'm curious to hear what new ingredients you picked up while you were in the UK.

I too have become fond of the Brainstorm. Adding more Benedictine and a dash of rum was quite nice too. I have also had success adding a dash of Maraschino.

[eje]

Cheers, David!

The exchange rate was so brutal, I tried to restrain myself to items I knew I couldn't get in the US. Plymouth Navy Strength, an unusual Sloe Gin, and Oude Genever. After reading this Dr. Cocktail article, I was hoping for Bols Corenwyn. No such luck. Will have to post pictures soon. I haven't even gotten around to tasting them yet!

Brandy Cocktail

2 Dashes Curacao (1 barspoon Senior Curacao)

3/4 Wineglass Brandy (1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre)

(1 dash Regan's Orange Bitters)

Stir well and strain into cocktail glass.

Couldn't resist adding a dash of orange bitters. It is supposed to be a cocktail, after all!

Even more than the Brain-storm this is just about the booze. If you enjoy orangey, slightly sweet, cold brandy, you will enjoy this cocktail. If you don't enjoy the flavor of brandy, this isn't a cocktail for you.

Like the Brain-storm, it seems like it's a cocktail where the size might be key. There's no way I would enjoy 4 oz of this. On the other hand, 2 oz (with dilution) is quite nice.

[eje]

Brandy Blazer

Use small thick glass.

1 Lump Sugar

1 Piece of Orange Peel

1 Piece of Lemon Peel

1 Glass Brandy (2 oz Korbel VSOP)

(Warm Brandy slightly. -eje) Light with a match, stir with long spoon for a few seconds and strain into cocktail glass.

This can be drunk whilst still alight if so desired.

Gosh darn it! All the running around putting out the lights, and the cocktail goes out before I get a chance to take a picture. I really could use a camera assistant for some of these!

Cocktail is pretty tasty, in a winter-warmer kind of way. Probably good if you have a cold or similar. Found the Korbel a bit harsh without dilution, and ended up adding a bit of hot water.

I've no idea how you could possibly ignite this without first warming the brandy.

[jmfangio]

I've been meaning to join this thread for a while, and after the Brooklyn Cocktail comes the...

Brunelle Cocktail

1/4 Absinthe (Vert de Fougerolles)

1/2 Tablespoonful Sugar

3/4 Lemon Juice

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

I didn't have very high hopes for this, so I made it on the small side. I have to report that in joining the 'Stomping Through the Savoy' team, I'm also taking one for the team. Absinthe and lemon juice are strong flavors on their own, and in this combination and proportions it's a tiger cage death match for supremacy (alright, I freely admit that I've probably watched way too many kung fu movies, but you get the idea).

Down the sink, and into a dry martini to cleanse my palate.

[eje]

jmfangio, that is a pretty unusual recipe, I have to admit I didn't have much hope for it either.

Did you find any other more appealing variations? The cocktaildb version is half pastis, half lemon, and a teaspoon of sugar. I guess with the sweetness of the pastis, it will be about the same cocktail.

Brandy Gump

1 Hooker of Brandy (1 1/2 oz Korbel VSOP)

The Juice of 1 Lemon (about an ounce)

2 Dashes Grenadine (1 generous teaspoon Fee's American Beauty)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Woo, this is tart and pink. I didn't have any problem finishing it. It's kind of like one of those really sour candies. Bracing.

This is the last of the cocktails I skipped, so, at last, we will be getting back to some forward motion!

[David Santucci]

I have to report that in joining the 'Stomping Through the Savoy' team, I'm also taking one for the team.

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I have to admit that I have secretly suspected that eje had decided to go back to the recipe he missed because of the dismal-looking drinks ahead, like the Brunelle. How about a Buds Special anyone -- the only thing that sounds worse than the name is the recipe. Then, (after the Bull-Dog, aka Gin n' Juice), to add injury to insult -- the Bunny Hug!

I think you could salvage the Brunelle by making it a tall drink -- top it off with soda and adjust the sweetness accordingly. Even better, add to that some almond extract or Amaretto and perhaps a dash of bitters.

[jmfangio]

Eje -

Other than the CocktailDB version, no, not really. Just a few other sites listing the Savoy recipe, however on La Fee Vert's site they call it an Absinthe Sour.

David -

Actually, I was thinking about that. A splash of soda, and a dash of Hermes Violet and it might not be half bad.

We're going to have to draw straws for the Choker Cocktail:

Drink this and you can drink anything - new-laid eggs put into it immediately become hard-boiled.

Edited May 3, 2007 by jmfangio (log)

[eje]

Well, I have to admit that there are times when the upcoming cocktails do not exactly inspire. I think I stared at those 3 Alexander Cocktails for about a week before I could bring myself to make them.

Really, it was just peer pressure that caused me to go back and finish the cocktails I had skipped. That and drying out a bit after the trip to England, have caused the delay in progress.

I got some cream on the way home tonight, so I'll take care of Bud tomorrow. Ugh.

Brunelle Cocktail

1/4 Absinthe (1/2 oz Verte de Fougerolles Absinthe)

1/2 Tablespoonful of Sugar (1 teaspoon caster sugar)

3/4 Lemon Juice (Juice 1/2 lemon)

(1 oz Boodles Gin)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

The best part about having contributors, is, I feel like I can riff a bit on the cocktails.

I took jmfangio's "Absinthe Sour" idea to heart, and simplified things. But, cocktails made with just Absinthe haven't done much for me. Too rich. When I was thinking about it at lunch, I thought I would dilute it with vodka. But, then, after waiting an half an hour for a N Judah train to even show up and take me home, a mild gin like Boodles seemed like a much better way to reward myself. After it took an hour and a half to get home, my thoughts were, "Screw vodka and screw MUNI I'm having GIN."

First I was quite pleased with myself, thinking it an original idea. Then, it seemed a bit familiar. Couple sips later, I remembered Le Demon Verte from "The Art of the Bar".

OK, Le Demon Verte uses lime juice as sour and falernum as sweetener. Still, I have unthinkingly come pretty close to taking the long way around to rediscovering its DNA.

Tasty, though. I do believe I'll have another.

[eje]

Buds Special Cocktail

1 Dash Angostura Bitters

1/3 Sweet Cream (3/4 oz Whipping Cream)

2/3 Cointreau (1 1/2 oz Cointreau)

Stir (What? Shake! -eje) well and strain into cocktail glass.

I guess I had an idle hope that this would be something like a Creamsicle in drink form. Hopes dashed, down the sink after a couple sips.

Bleah! Bud, man, what were you thinking?

[eje]

Bull-Dog Cocktail

Put 2 or 3 lumps of ice into a large tumbler, add the juice of 1 Orange, 1 glass (2oz Boodles) Gin. Fill Balance with Ginger Ale (Reed's Ginger Brew).

Stir, and serve with a straw.

Rollin down the street, smokin indo, sippin on gin and juice,

Laid back (with my mind on my money and my money on my mind)

I blame David Santucci for getting this song (as covered by Sissy Bar) stuck in my head for the last week.

It's a perfectly tasty drink, great for the warm weather we've had in San Francisco this week. Gin, fresh orange juice, and ginger ale. How could that be bad?

[eje]

Bunny Hug

1/3 Gin (Almost 3/4 oz Boodles Gin)

1/3 Whisky (Almost 3/4 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon)

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

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

This cocktail should immediately be poured down the sink before it is too late.

This cocktail has always puzzled me.

First, the name made no sense, until eGullet member thirtyoneknots pointed out that the "Bunny Hug" was some sort of raunchy dance invented at the Fairmont Hotel in the early part of the 20th Century. Also that "Hug" was not really quite as "cute" a term, as it might originally appear. Apparently, the name was supposed to evoke something more like, "doing it like rabbits".

There's also what may be an apocryphal story that a dancer named Vernor Castle adapted the Bunny Hug into the slower and more acceptably named Foxtrot.

Then there's the menacing epigraph. Is it meant as a warning or encouragement?

I really had little hope for the cocktail. Given the lineage of the name, it seemed more likely that it was the turn of the century equivalent of a shooter. A short, high alcohol drink you slammed between dances.

That may be; but, it's actually not that bad. Absinthe is dominant, of course; but, the gin kind of mediates, and the whiskey is there in the finish. I probably lucked out by picking a feisty whiskey, like the Buffalo Trace. Anything more polite would simply get blown away by the Absinthe.

Still, not something you're really going to slowly savor in front of a warm fire. Make it small, make it cold, and get on with the dancing.

[eje]

Bush-Ranger Cocktail

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

1/2 Caperitif (1 1/2 oz Lillet Blanc)

1/2 Bacardi Rum (1 1/2 oz Santa Teresa Gran Reserva)

Stir well and strain into cocktail glass. (Garnish with orange zest. - eje)

Usually, Lillet and Orange are flavors I enjoy, however, with the rum here, my embellishment doesn't quite work. Also, as usual, I have no idea how close a substitution Lillet blanc is for the defunct South African aperitif wine, Caperitif.

edit - Couple notes from later on: I like the more expensive Santa Teresa 1796 rum; but, remain unimpressed by the Gran Reserva. It's just not got a lot of character. Also, I think my Lillet is getting old and needs to be replaced. When the cocktail warmed up, I definitely detected a little "refrigerator" taste. I will probably re-try this cocktail at a later date with a different rum and some new aperitif wine.

Edited May 12, 2007 by eje (log)

[eje]

B.V.D. Cocktail

1/3 Bacardi Rum (3/4 oz Flor de Cana Extra Dry)

1/3 Dry Gin (3/4 oz Boodles Gin)

1/3 French Vermouth (3/4 oz Noilly Prat)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass.

Interesting dry Martini variation. The rum disappears into the vermouth and gin. Had a hard time even detecting it in the cocktail.

Lemon Twist or olive wouldn't be inappropriate, depending on your predilection.

Does "B.V.D." stand for "Bradley, Voorhees & Day", as in, underwear?

Or is it Bacardi, Vermouth, and Dry Gin?

[eje]

Byculla Cocktail

1 Liqueur Glass Ginger (3/4 oz Canton Ginger Liqueur)

1 Liqueur Glass Curacao (3/4 oz Brizard Orange Curacao)

1 Liqueur Glass Port (3/4 oz Warre's Warrior Port)

1 Liqueur Glass Sherry (3/4 oz Lustau Don Nuno Dry Oloroso)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass.

Too sweet to be anything other than a dessert cocktail. I like the flavor combination, though. Definitely filed away for future use.

Byculla appears to have been a popular neighborhood with the British of Mumbai (Bombay) from a period of around 1800 to the 1890. Race Track, Clubs, that sort of thing.

So decadent, that there was even a famous Byculla Soufflé:

The Byculla Soufflé - a very Edwardian dish, the pride of the Byculla Club in Bombay; a sweet mousse in which layers of cream are flavoured with different liqueurs - Chartreuese, Benedictine and Maraschino - and set with gelatine. Since the Byculla Club ceased to exist in 1920, to the best of my knowledge so did the Byculla Soufflé; but maybe some reader can correct me.

[thirtyoneknots]

Byculla Cocktail

1 Liqueur Glass Ginger (3/4 oz Canton Ginger Liqueur)

1 Liqueur Glass Curacao (3/4 oz Brizard Orange Curacao)

1 Liqueur Glass Port (3/4 oz Warre's Warrior Port)

1 Liqueur Glass Sherry (3/4 oz Lustau Don Nuno Dry Oloroso)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass.

Too sweet to be anything other than a dessert cocktail.  I like the flavor combination, though.  Definitely filed away for future use.

←

A heavier-bodied port with more structure than the Warrior might help somewhat with the sweetness, though not enough to help it transcent the dessert category. I really wasn't crazy about the Warre's Warrior, much prefer Dow's or Cockburns Special Reserve (or Grahams Six Grapes, or...) I think for mixing purposes I'd want a port with a little more oomph.

-Andy

[eje]

A heavier-bodied port with more structure than the Warrior might help somewhat with the sweetness, though not enough to help it transcent the dessert category. I really wasn't crazy about the Warre's Warrior...

[...]

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Yeah, I'm with you there.

I was really surprised by how light in style the Warre's Warrior Port is. I doubt I'd buy it again.

It just happens to be the port I have in the house right now.

I should probably use it to poach fruit or something, just to get rid of it, so I can buy a different bottle. Maybe this weekend...

Though, that said, as light as the Warre's was, port was the dominant element in the drink. Also, the Byculla was a very nice dark purple color, which is pretty unusual in cocktails.

(Note to self: figure out some way to do back lighting, so the colors of the drinks are highlighted more accurately in the pictures.)

[mkayahara]

(Note to self:  figure out some way to do back lighting, so the colors of the drinks are highlighted more accurately in the pictures.)

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Well, you could build a light box, like Darcy did!

[eje]

I'm ambivalent about the light box. It makes it seem like things are floating in space.

I kind of like the other characters in my shots. The Alton Brown Salt Cellar, Bee House Butter dish, assorted fruits, bottles, and the saint candle.

I was talking to the folks from Married with Dinner about their Friday Cocktail shots. They told me that they are sticklers for natural light, so they make the cocktails Friday morning before they go to work, stick them in the fridge, then drink them when they come home. More discipline than I could muster.

Byrrh Cocktail

1/3 French Vermouth (1 oz Noilly Prat)

1/3 Canadian Club Whisky (1 oz 40 Creek Barrel Select)

1/3 Byrrh (1 oz Byrrh 1875 Rare Assemblage)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass

Holy crap, is this good!

It tastes like a high proof, delicious burgundy* wine.

I've read descriptions of Byrrh that said it tastes a like Italian Vermouth. It doesn't, really. It tastes more like a light and not very sweet port.

Of all the cocktails I've made so far from the Savoy, this one seems the most dangerous. It doesn't taste strong at all, it seems like you're drinking a slightly sweet glass of wine.

*By Burgundy here, I mean a fine wine from the French wine producing region of Burgundy, not the stuff that comes in jugs.

Edited May 18, 2007 by eje (log)

[thirtyoneknots]

Wow where did you come across Byrrh?! I wasn't even sure it was being imported. Any mail order source?

[David Santucci]

CocktailDB lists Dubonnet as a Byrrh substitute -- how would you compare the two?

[eje]

Dubonnet Rouge has a much heavier spice/bitter note.

If there are spices in this Byrrh (are there others?), they are very subtle. Tasted straight the flavors were most similar to a very light style port. If this bottle is typical, I would say something like the Warre's Warrior Porto mentioned in the previous cocktail, would be a better substitute than Dubonnet Rouge. Though, the port is still both sweeter and heavier, so probably be best to slightly increase the ratio of dry vermouth to Byrrh, in that theoretical cocktail.

Also, while Dubonnet is fine, it's not something I would really choose to sit down and drink a glass of. On the other hand, I would be perfectly happy drinking a lightly chilled glass of the Byrrh, before or after dinner. It's quite tasty.

RE: Locating it. I canvassed most of the specialty liquor stores here, and got the usual, "What? Could you repeat that?" and, "We'll see if we can special order it, sir."

I finally ordered both the Byrrh and Canton Ginger Liqueur Hi-Time Wines in Costa Mesa.

The folks at Hi-Times are great. The funny thing was, the local courier they used couldn't seem to find my house. After the order got sent back to Costa Mesa once, I finally arranged to pick it up at the distribution center the next time Hi-Times shipped it up.

Unfortunately, I don't see either Byrrh or Canton Ginger Liqueur currently listed on their website. You might want to call, though.

After I mail ordered it, I did see a bottle of the same Byrrh at Wine Impressions on California in San Francisco.

Edited May 18, 2007 by eje (log)