Stomping Through the "Savoy" (2006–2007)

[eje]

[...]

The Benoit Serres liqueur de violette is made on an Armanac base and is 25% alcohol.  It is very intensely aromatic and violet-ey.  When I've given folks a taste or smell, they mostly say, "that's very odd".

[...]

←

Sean,

I was trying to think of things to compare the violet liqueur to, and came up with this:

If you've ever made a lavender flavored simple syrup or Sorbet, (the linked recipe is excellent, BTW,) it's very similar. Except, well, it tastes like violets, not lavender.

[Snowy is dead]

Thanks for the replys. I was just in London, too. Damn. Maybe I'll have it shipped. This stuff just makes me so curious. Have you tried it in an avaiation yet?

[eje]

re: Aviation and violets. Well, I could tell you, Sean; but, then I'd have nothing talk about when I got to the Aviation in a page or two. Stay tuned.

Appetiser Cocktail

1/2 dry gin (1 1/2 oz beefeater gin)

1/2 Dubonnet ( 1 1/2 oz dubonnet rouge)

Juice of 1/2 orange

Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.

This was OK; but, I liked it better with a dash or two of angostura bitters (which, in the world of the Savoy, probably makes it a different drink). It's not as "dangerously drinkable" as some modern mixed drinks; but, it does seem like one of those drinks that make it seem like you're not really having something with hard liquor in it. Then all of a sudden you've swilled three in quick succession and you're pretty drunk.

edit - spelling.

Edited October 13, 2006 by eje (log)

[Snowy is dead]

roger that

[eje]

Apple Cocktail (for 6)

Take 2 glasses of sweet Cider (2 oz Martinelli's Cider), 1 Glass Gin (1 oz. Beefeater's), 1 Glass of Brandy (1 oz Korbel VSOP) and 2 glasses of Calvados (2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Jack). Shake and serve

(Garnish with thin horizontal slices of tart green apple.)

This is the Cocktail doctors hate to recommend

Recommend going with a cider with a little more spine than the martinelli's. If you have to use a mild apple juice style cider, a dash of lemon wouldn't hurt.

Caveat: Over enthusiastic consumption of this potent pomme potation may result in tawdry, if not downright original, sin.

edit - By the way, I regretted shaking this one, as the foam then covered my apple slices. Recommend stirring, if you use a similar garnish, especially with a clear apple cider.

Edited October 20, 2006 by eje (log)

[eje]

Apple Jack Cocktail

1 Dash Angustura Bitters

1/2 Italian Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Cinzano Rosso)

1/2 Calvados (1 1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Jack)

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

This was quite nice. You'd probably have to order it as an "Apple Jack Manhattan" to get it at a bar. If you like Manhattans, it's a good change of pace from the usual Rye or Bourbon.

Edited October 20, 2006 by eje (log)

[eje]

Apple Jack (Special) Cocktail

2/3 Applejack (2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Jack)

1/6 Grenadine (1/2 oz homemade Grenadine)

1/6 Lemon Juice (1/2 oz Lemon Juice)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass

Within free pour error of the nominally drier Jack Rose (in the Savoy the Jack Rose is: Juice of 1/2 lemon or whole lime, 1/4 Grenadine, 3/4 Apple Jack). Tasty stuff. Homemade Grenadine, fresh lemon juice, and the Bonded Apple Jack make a world of difference in this cocktail. Yum.

[ThinkingBartender]

That one looks like it could do with some eggwhite.

[eje]

Actually, egg white would be a pretty good thing in the "Apple Jack (Special)". It's got enough intensity and sourness, that it would be quite tasty. "Apple Jack (Extra Special)"? Apple Jack (Silver Special)"?

Apple Jack Rabbit Cocktail

1 Hooker of Applejack (1 1/2 oz Laird's Bonded Apple Brandy)

The Juice of 1 Lemon (Juice 3/4 Lemon)

The Juice of 1 Orange (Juice 1/2 navel orange)

1 Hooker of Maple Syrup (1/2 oz Maple Syrup)

Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass

As far as I can tell from the recipes in the Savoy, "hooker" refers to a small-ish shot glass. Maybe 1 or 1 1/2 oz. I ended up balancing this cocktail to my taste based on what modern ingredients I had on hand and what might appeal to me.

It might not be what the recipe intended; but, I couldn't face drinking a whole ounce of maple syrup without a decent cocktail to back it up.

[eje]

Apple Pie Cocktail

1/2 Bacardi Rum (1 1/2 oz Flor de Cana White Rum)

1/2 Italian Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Cinzano Rosso)

4 Dashes Apricot Brandy (2 bar spoons Vedrenne liqueur de abricot)

2 Dashes Grenadine (1 bar spoon home made Grenadine)

4 Dashes Lemon Juice (Juice 1/4 lemon)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass

Ack, my first case of serious boston shaker vapor lock. It was a long bus ride home, I was tense. I took a breath and knocked it and it came loose without damaging the glass. Whew. It did end up a bit more diluted than I would have liked.

Nice cocktail, all the same.

Oh, IMHO, this one could go either way shaking or straining.

[KatieLoeb]

Erik:

I have a bottle of Laird's Applejack in the house that I've been looking for new excuses to play with. Thanks for the suggestions, they'll definitely be in this weekend's rotation.

Do you think the Applejack Cocktail and the Applejack Special would work with the non-bonded Laird's? It's what I've got...

[eje]

Erik:

I have a bottle of Laird's Applejack in the house that I've been looking for new excuses to play with.  Thanks for the suggestions, they'll definitely be in this weekend's rotation.

Do you think the Applejack Cocktail and the Applejack Special would work with the non-bonded Laird's?  It's what I've got...

←

Katie,

You might have to balance them a little differently.

The bonded straight apple brandy is a cleaner and more intensely apple flavored spirit. Plus it is 100 proof. The blended Apple Jack strikes me as half way between an apple brandy and a mild blended whiskey.

Before I made my own grenadine and had the bonded, I used commercial grenadine and went through a bottle of the blended apple jack on various cocktails. The Jack Roses, especially, just never really grabbed me as a great cocktail. With the bonded apple brandy and home made grenadine, the Apple Jack (Special) is a really vibrant and tasty cocktail. How much of that is the home made grenadine and how much is the bonded apple brandy, I'm not sure.

[Peter Green]

I have little to add. I just want you to know that I really like this thread.

Dipsophilia forever.

[eje]

I have little to add.  I just want you to know that I really like this thread.

Dipsophilia forever.

←

Cheers, Peter! Glad you enjoy it.

Dipsophilia is a new word for me!

Approve Cocktail

3/4 Wineglass Rye or Canadian Club Whisky (2 oz Sazerac 6 yr. Rye)

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters (8 drops)

2 Dashes Curacao (1 barspoon Marie Brizard Orange Curacao)

Shake (stir - eje) and strain into wine-glass. Squeeze lemon and orange peel on top.

Basically a big glass of cold citrus scented rye. Possibly, I should have used a milder flavored whisk(e)y. Honestly, I think I would have preferred straight rye.

[eje]

Apricot Cocktail (Sweet).

(6 People)

Dilute a teaspoon of apricot jam (1/2 teaspoon Bonne Maman Apricot preserves) in a glass of Abricotine (1 oz Vedrenne liqueur de Abricot). Add a teaspoonful of Peach Bitters (1/2 teaspoon Fee's Peach Bitters), slightly less than two glasses of Gin (2 oz Beefeater Gin) and 2 1/2 glasses French Vermouth (2 1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry).

Place this mixture in a shaker and put it on the ice (in the freezer) to cool. When quite cold pour in two or three glasses of crushed ice and shake well. Strain into cocktail glass.

Odd instructions, I must say. The end result is a pleasant enough after dinner cocktail. Especially highlights the nutty flavors of the Apricot liqueur.

[eje]

Apricot Coctail

1/4 Lemon Juice (3/4 oz Lemon Juice)

1/4 Orange Juice (3/4 oz Orange Juice)

1/2 Apricot Brandy (1 1/2 oz Vedrenne Liqueur de Abricot)

1 Dash Dry Gin (Beefeater's)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

I was afraid this mild proto-Fuzzy Navel would be too sweet. However, the lemon balances out the sweetness of the Apricot liqueur nicely and it ends up more sweet tart. Again, as in the Apple Jack Rabbit, the aromatic zing of fresh citrus juice makes this cocktail for me.

[eje]

Artillery Cocktail

1/3 Italian Vermouth (3/4 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth)

2/3 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Citadelle Gin)

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

Was trying to think of a way to raise this cocktail above average, so decided to open a couple bottles I've had sitting around.

The Carpano Antica is nice. Subtle, complex, and not as sweet as the Cinzano. Can't wait to try it in a Manhattan. The Citadelle seemed like it had a stronger Juniper component than either of the gins I usually mix with (Beefeater or Plymouth).

With interesting ingredients, it's not a bad cocktail. With cheap gin and generic vermouth, I doubt it would be very interesting.

[eje]

Artist's (Special) Cocktail

1/3 Whisky (3/4 oz Sazerac Junior Rye)

1/3 Sherry (3/4 oz Lustau Solera Reserva Dry Oloroso Sherry "Don Nuño")

1/6 Lemon Juice (1/3-1/2 oz lime juice)

1/6 Groseille Syrup (bar spoon D'Arbo Red Currant Preserves)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass

This is the genuine 'Ink of Inspiration' imbibed at the Bal Bullier, Paris.  The recipe is from the Artists' Club, Rue Pigalle, Paris.

Well, I've take quite a lot of liberties for this one. However, with such unspecific ingredients its hard to know where to start. First, the whisky is not specified. Second the type of Sherry is not specified. Third, I realized when I was looking through the refrigerator tonight, we were out of lemons. Fourth, I could find no Red Currant syrup.

But, the description is so inspiring, I had to give it a try.

The Saz Jr is my go-to rye for mixing, so I started there. Sometimes it is a little too assertive to play well with other ingredients. But there was enough going on here, I thought it might be interesting.

I didn't particularly care for the fino sherry I'd recently tried in my cobbler experiment, so I thought I'd get something a little richer. Didn't want a cream, though. Given the fairly meager local selection of sherry, the Lustau Dry Oloroso seemed like a good choice.

My wife has a cold and she used up all the lemons in her tea. Thank goodness, we still had regular limes. I don't think I could have lived with myself if I had been forced to substitute key limes or calamansi.

Apparently, Groseille syrup is red currant syrup. I can find no trace of it in the modern world. Black currant, yes, Red currant, no. Fortunately, you can still buy red currant preserves. What are preserves, but, thickened fruit syrup?

What's the verdict?

It's quite a tasty cocktail and well worth all that pondering. Everything is there; but, none of the ingredients are fighting. Rye, currants, citrus, and sherry complement each other. Who knew?

[petite tête de chou]

Hi eje. It looks like Birchboy carries red currant syrup (half-way down the page).

[eje]

Hi eje. It looks like Birchboy carries red currant syrup (half-way down the page).

←

Ya know, I did find that page. I was confused, though, as they said their currant syrup comes from a species native to North America. No idea if it is similar to the European red currant.

I was also a little leery, as it was on a page full of pancake syrups.

In any case, I was pleased with my solution, as it didn't involve mail order or shipping, just a trip to a local gourmet grocery store.

Also, I know d'Arbo products have really good, concentrated fruit flavor and no extraneous ingredients.

[eje]

re: Artillery Cocktail - Some sources (Duffy) add a dash Angostura (or Boker's) and a lemon twist to this cocktail, which would probably give a little more sparkle to the drink.

Astoria Cocktail

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

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

dash Orange Bitters (Regan's)

(Garnish with Olive per Duffy)

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

Yer basic Dry Martini. Interesting to note that the Astoria Cocktail in Crockett's "Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book" is composed of, 2/3 dry vermouth, 1/3 Old Tom Gin, and 2 Dashes of Orange Bitters. Guess it lost some weight crossing the Atlantic!

[eje]

Atta Boy Cocktail

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

2/3 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Citadelle Gin)

4 dashes Grenadine ( 2 barspoons homemade)

Shake welll and strain into cocktail glass

Here's another one I thought could have used a dash of lemon juice.

It was definitely interesting to compare the Beefeater and Citadelle gins back to back. The Citadelle definitely has more aggressive flavor profile and hotter taste. The Beefeater, while actually being higher proof, is a smoother gin.

When the Beefeater starts getting low, I might have to do some tastes against Tanqueray or another London Dry.

Idle question, what currently available gin in the US market might you think would be the most representative of those available in England in the early 20th century?

[eje]

ATTY Cocktail

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

3 Dashes Absinthe (1/2 bar spoon Verte de Fougerolles)

3/4 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Citadelle Gin)

3 Dashes Creme de Violette (1/2 bar spoon Benoit Serres liqueur de violette)

Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Squeeze lemon peel on top - eje)

The first time I made this one using beefeaters and followed the cocktaildb recipe. I also measured the liqueur de violette at about 1 whole bar spoon. Cocktail didn't do much for me. The liqueur de violette was too dominant and the whole was too sweet. I went back to the Savoy and realized the cocktaildb had omitted the Absinthe and added a lemon twist (Duffy?).

I made it again as above with the Citadelle Gin, still getting the proportions slightly wrong. But, an extra 1/4 oz of dry vermouth isn't going to kill anyone. The cocktail is much improved. In fact, it is a fascinating, elegant and complex thing, with the hints of Absinthe and Violet trading each other for flavor dominance as you sip.

What it has to do with Attorneys is anyone's guess.

[eje]

Aviation Cocktail

2/3 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Various)

1/3 Lemon Juice (3/4 oz fresh lemon juice)

2 Dashes Maraschino (Luxardo)

(2 Dashes Benoit Serres Violet Liqueur)

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Garnish with Cherry.)

I've always had a hard time with the Aviation! It's such a simple thing, you wouldn't think it would be hard to get right.

The first try was as above, Citadelle Gin and 1 bar spoon Luxardo Maraschino. Quite a dry, tart cocktail. I felt like it was OK; but, that the gin was lost and perhaps a stonger juniper element was necessary.

For the next try, I went with something like the Ensslin Aviation as discovered by Mr. Wondrich. 2 oz dry gin (Junipero), 1/2 oz Lemon, 1 tsp Maraschino, 1 tsp Violet Liqueur. The Junipero and the Violet liqueur clashed horribly. This was a terrible cocktail (no fault of discovered recipe).

I went back, re-read through the eGullet thread about the Aviation, and came to a compromise, "Alienation" as Lan4Dawg puts it. 1 1/2 oz Tanqueray, 3/4 oz fresh Lemon, 2 tsp Maraschino liqueur, and 1 tsp Violet Liqueur.

I think it is still tart enough to qualify as an Aviation rather than Allen and also probably tarter than any Aviation I've had made for me in a bar.

It is interesting, as even a teaspoon is pretty generous for "2 dashes". Makes you wonder how sour the original Aviation was.

Extra points for anyone who now has Elvis Costello lyrics running throug their head.

[slkinsey]

It is interesting, as even a teaspoon is pretty generous for "2 dashes".  Makes you wonder how sour the original Aviation was.

It's always hard to know exactly what they meant by "dash" in those old books. Clearly two dashes from a dasher bottle such as those used for bitters would be a minimal amount. On the other hand, a quick dash from an open bottle of maraschino liqueur could easily amount to a half teaspoon or more.