Cocktail History and Creators - Assorted

[evo-lution]

Hello all,

Apologies for the lengthy post first of all...

I'm trying to clarify, and draw a clearer picture, on the info/history I/we have on a few drinks. Anything anyone could add would be much appreciated

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Larchmont

Rum

Grand Marnier

Lime Juice

Sugar Syrup

Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Orange Twist (optional)

Created by David Embury and named his favourite community in New York, in which he lived.

I, unfortunately, don't have the book this was printed in. Does it say, exactly when it was created? I am aware that it was printed in the 1948 Edition (cheers Dave...)

Boulevard

I have very little on this drink apart from a variety of recipes.

I have came to the conclusion that it was originally made with :-

Rye Whiskey

Grand Marnier

Vermouth

And possibly Orange bitters

Stir and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Flamed Orange Peel

I have also found recipes that call for Bourbon over Rye?!?

Between the Sheets

Cognac

Rum

Cointreau

Lemon or Lime Juice

Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Lemon Twist (optional)

I asked this before on Webtender and Dom Costa replied :-

"Mr Polly. Manager of the Berkeley Hotel in London, 1921. Source: Classic Cocktail Club, Milan, Italy."

There was also this reply from Mbanu :-

"Johnny Brooks invented the drink during Prohibition at a bar in New Rochelle, New York"

This was never cleared up though...

Red Lion

Grand Marnier

Gin

Lemon Juice

Orange Juice

or

Grand Marnier

Gin

Grenadine

Lime Juice

Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail

Other than that, I have nothing on this drink?!?

Side Car

Cognac

Cointreau

Lemon Juice

Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail

Created by Macgarry, a bartender at the Bucks Club, London, 1931.

Does this guy have a first name as he only ever seems to be referenced as Macgarry?

I'm sure that the sugar rim appeared on this drink a number of years after the original was created, which didn't have one. Is this correct?

Just noticed there is a big write-up on the Side Car on this site, under the recipes section. Going to read over that now...

Cosmopolitan

Vodka (flavoured or not)

Lime Juice (or, God forbid, Lime Cordial)

Cranberry Juice

Cointreau

Shake and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Orange Twist/Lime Wedge (optional)

Cheryl Cook? Toby Cechinni? What year?

Who actually created this drink, and what was the original recipe? Did the lime cordial version come first (similar to a Kamikaze), which was then followed by the more popular fresh lime-juice and flavoured vodka version?

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Anyways, thats all for now. If anyone can add anything to any of the above drinks, that would be grand!

Cheers in advance,

Adam

www.evo-lution.org

Edited November 8, 2006 by evo-lution (log)

[ThinkingBartender]

Larchmont

I think this has been covered sufficiently by Wondrich.

Side-car

The first two references to the Side-car are from 1922, and they both name MacGarry.

MacGarry who? no idea. Though the Buck's Club still exists:

Buck's Club: 18 Clifford Street London, England W1S 3RF. 020 7734 2337.

Cosmopolitan

Toby Cechinni himself says that he did not invent the Cosmopolitan. Cheryl Cook says that she was approached by the Absolut rep to make something new with the recently released Absolut Citron (1988? ref: wikipedia).

However, a recently revealed recipe from 1934 for a Cosmpolitan, contained in the Daisy section of a Gin only cocktail recipe book, has the following:

"Pioneers of Mixing Gin at Elite Bars 1903-1933," by American Traveling Mixologists, 1934

Cosmopolitan

* Jigger Gordons Gin

* 2 Dashes Cointreau

* Juice of one Lemon

* Teaspoon Raspberry

Glass No. 4 Shake and strain

Too similar to be a coincidence IMHO, especially with the same name. 1988, the launch of Absolut Citron, is before the internet, and I doubt that Cheryl Cook had the slightest inkling that she would be found out.

[eje]

Gary Regan has a good article regarding the history of the Cosmopolitan in the second issue of "Mixologist: The Journal of the American Cocktail" called, "The Birth of the Pinks".

Mixologist, Volume 2

While I'm not quite sure I believe Ms. Cook had read the publication that George cites, it does seem like a bit of a coincidence that her alleged "girly kamikaze" ended up with the same name as the gin Cosmopolitan cited. Perhaps, a half remembered drink taught her by an older bartender?

George, you have asserted elsewhere that "Pioneers of Mixing Gin..." was a book of cocktails whose primary spirit was converted from whatever to gin. Did you ever find out if the 30s Cosmo started with a different base spirit? Or, even better, find another correlating recipe for the 30s Cosmo?

[ThinkingBartender]

George, you have asserted elsewhere that "Pioneers of Mixing Gin..." was a book of cocktails whose primary spirit was converted from whatever to gin.  Did you ever find out if the 30s Cosmo started with a different base spirit?  Or, even better, find another correlating recipe for the 30s Cosmo?

←

The Cosmo (1934) seems to have just been another name for a Gin Daisy; looking through other Daisy Recipes I see that it is nothing out of the ordinary daisy-wise. Its just a Gin Daisy, so the chances are that it wasn't changed from another spirit.

Although non-bartenders, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way, might have trouble coping with the idea, the Cosmo (1934) is not that different from the Cosmo (1988). Bartenders do this kind of swapping around of ingredients all the time; it sometimes seems like they prefer this than to actually make a cocktail properly.

Gin swapped for Vodka, albeit Absolut Citron.

Cointreau stays.

Lemon juice changed for Lime Juice.

Raspberry Syrup changed for Cranberry (its just for colour remember).

As for correlating recipes, and by this I assume you mean a Gin Daisy that is also entitled "Cosmopolitan, the answer is no (not yet!-)

Edited November 8, 2006 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[ThinkingBartender]

While I'm not quite sure I believe Ms. Cook had read the publication that George cites, it does seem like a bit of a coincidence that her alleged "girly kamikaze" ended up with the same name as the gin Cosmopolitan cited. Perhaps, a half remembered drink taught her by an older bartender?

Erik,

This is a phenomenon that I have experience many times, and really it all boils down to whether a particular person what's to give credit where credit is due; and thus diminish their own prestige.

Cheers!

George

[evo-lution]

I have all the info I need for 5 of the above drinks, but I cannot find anything anywhere about 'Boulevard'

Still searching but getting stuck and running out of ideas for where to look?!?

Anyone point me in the right direction or have any info whatsoever? Thanks in advance

Boulevard

I have very little on this drink apart from a variety of recipes.

I have came to the conclusion that it was originally made with :-

Rye Whiskey

Grand Marnier

Vermouth

And possibly Orange bitters

Stir and Strain, Chilled Cocktail, Flamed Orange Peel

I have also found recipes that call for Bourbon over Rye?!?

Edited November 12, 2006 by evo-lution (log)

[ThinkingBartender]

Try contacting Milk and Honey; as they have the Boulevard on their menu.

kirsten@mlkhny.com or jd@mlkhny.com

[evo-lution]

Try contacting Milk and Honey; as they have the Boulevard on their menu.

kirsten@mlkhny.com or jd@mlkhny.com

←

Thanks. Never thought about contacting a bar that has it featured on their menu

[evo-lution]

Dale De Groff - Craft of the Cocktail - Page 90

Boulevard

From G. Selmer Fougner of the 'New York Sun', 1935

40ml rye whiskey

12ml Grand Marnier

12ml dry vermouth

Flamed orange peel for garnish

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the flamed orange peel.

Does anyone have a copy of this 'New York Sun'?

[ThinkingBartender]

Dale De Groff - Craft of the Cocktail - Page 90

Boulevard

From G. Selmer Fougner of the 'New York Sun', 1935

40ml rye whiskey

12ml Grand Marnier

12ml dry vermouth

Flamed orange peel for garnish

Stir with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with the flamed orange peel.

Does anyone have a copy of this 'New York Sun'?

←

The New York Sun is a newspaper; G. Selmers fougner was the Cocktail Columnist who would ask his readers for their recipes.

The chances are that the Boulevard is one of the recipes from the New York Sun readers; this explains why it is not listed in books other than DeGroffs; it is a modern resurrection of an old, though not classic, recipe.

If Milk and Honey got the recipe from DeGroff's book, then you could try contacting him; or David Wondrich (NYC cocktail historian).

[evo-lution]

The New York Sun is a newspaper; G. Selmers fougner was the Cocktail Columnist who would ask his readers for their recipes.

Yeah, I read all about G. Selmer Fougner after I found the recipe in 'The Craft of the Cocktail'. Reckon he would have been in possession of some pretty good books from his time...

He passed away in 1941 of a heart attack - http://jcgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/a...,932237,00.html

"Died. G. Selmer Fougner, 56, U.S. gourmet, conductor, since Repeal, of the New York Sun column "Along the Wine Trail''; of a heart attack; in Washington. In devotion to his exquisite art, Columnist Fougner wrote several books on vinticulture and good living, founded no less than 14 epicurean societies, notably the famed "Les Amis d'Escoffier."

The chances are that the Boulevard is one of the recipes from the New York Sun readers; this explains why it is not listed in books other than DeGroffs; it is a modern resurrection of an old, though not classic, recipe.

I did think this may be the case when I read that Fougner published recipes from readers. The 'Boulevard' is similar to a 'Dry Manhattan' in some respects. Some 'Boulevard' recipes call for bitters, however, this could just be a modern addition...

If Milk and Honey got the recipe from DeGroff's book, then you could try contacting him; or David Wondrich (NYC cocktail historian).

←

I have mailed Dale and await his response. Fingers crossed that he might know something?!?

Edited November 13, 2006 by evo-lution (log)

[ThinkingBartender]

As you got the Boulevard from Dale's book, there is the possibility that a Flamed Orange Peel is not the original garnish.

[evo-lution]

As you got the Boulevard from Dale's book, there is the possibility that a Flamed Orange Peel is not the original garnish.

←

Again, I agree. I think that the original recipe would have consisted of :-

Rye whiskey

Grand Marnier

Dry Vermouth

Orange Bitters *

A 'Dry Manhattan' with added Grand Marnier in short...

At a guess it would probably have had a garnish of some sort but no idea what?!? Citrus twist of some description?

But the modern adaptation would be :-

Rye or Bourbon whiskey (whatever American whiskey comes to hand)

Grand Marnier

Dry Vermouth

Bitters *

Flamed orange peel

*Bitters being optional (if using Bourbon I would use orange bitters to give it that spicy, warming edge that Rye offers)

Edited November 14, 2006 by evo-lution (log)

[evo-lution]

Just got this from Dale :-

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David Embury, from 'The fine Art of Mixing Drinks', which post dates my original source Fougner:

'The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks' by David Embury 1949:

"Dry Manhattan with 2 or 3 dashes of Grand Marnier added to each drink. Use orange bitters, not angostura. A different version of this drink consists of a Medium Martini with a few dashes of grapefruit juice."

As for the origin...this one may be lost in the mist but try my friend, the Historical Oracle as we have nick-named him, David Wondrich...

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S'laters,

Adam

Edited November 14, 2006 by evo-lution (log)

[evo-lution]

Created by Macgarry, a bartender at the Bucks Club, London, 1931.

Does this guy have a first name    as he only ever seems to be referenced as Macgarry?

←

Just received this e-mail fro Sheila at the Bucks Club, and she informs me that the aforementioned creator of the Sidecar was called, Malachy MacGarry

Edited November 16, 2006 by evo-lution (log)