Frank Meier & the "Soixante-Quinze"

[ThinkingBartender]

Does anyone know anything about a cocktail credited to Frank Meier called a “soixante-quinte” (seventy fifth)?

"The Washington Post", 29th April 1923

"Like Frank's "soixante quinte" gloomer raiser, the monkey gland requires absinthe to be perfect,..."

I did hope that this would be a reference to a French 75 (gin, lemon, sugar, champagne), but the absinthe cuttles that hope.

"Soixante quinte" was another term for the fabled French artillery piece.

It can't be referring to Robert Vermiere's 75 Cocktail recipe (1922), as that doesn't include Absinthe.

Any ideas?

Cheers!

George

[Splificator]

That should read "soixante quinze" and "gloom raiser."

What I've always find most interesting in that dayotherwise-tantalizing little article is that it closes by stating that "Inside half an hour the other day Frank purveyed 40 of these [Monkey Glands], to the exclusion of manhattans and martinis." If he made all of those personally, awesome bartending chops, no?

[slkinsey]

Does anyone know anything about a cocktail credited to Frank Meier called a "soixante-quinte" (seventy fifth)?

"soixante-quinze" = "seventy five"

"soixante-dix-cinquième" = "seventy fifth"

Is it possible that the author either made a mistake, or that Meier's iteration of the French 75 ("soixante-quinze" being indeed the French name of the famous artillery piece) had the addition of a rinse of absinthe or some such trick?

[fatdeko]

Hello all, long time no see. It's a long story so I won't go into it except to say that unless you have a really tolerant ISP, don't use an "out of office" mail script to spam spammers with.

My guess is that Meier was making the "other" French 75, simply named "the 75 cocktail".

From Harry's ABC's we get this:

'75 Cocktail

1 teaspoonful of Absinthe

2/3 Calvados

1/3 Gin

Shake and Strain

(This is the original 1915 recipe of the French '75 cocktail)

myers

[ThinkingBartender]

It seems that MacElhone was being a bit presumptuous, saying that two drinks with similar names are somehow related.

Here is, for the record, Robert Vermiere's '75 cocktail.

75 Cocktail

* 2 dashes grenadine

* 1 teaspoonful lemon juice

* 1/6 gill Calvados

* 2/6 gill Dry Gin

Shake well and strain into a Cocktail glass.

"This Cocktail was very well appreciated in Paris during the war. It has been called after the famous light French field gun, and was introduced by Henry of Henry's bar fame in Paris."

There was a Henry's bar on the Rue Volnay in Paris, and one would assume there was a Henry to go with it!-)

One gun, two drinks, which were not related IMHO.

Did Frank Meier list a '75 cocktail in his 1935 book? if so, who did he say invented it?

Cheers!

George

Edited November 30, 2006 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[fatdeko]

I'd take Harry off the hook for any presumption. The citation I mentioned above comes from the 1986 edition of Harry's ABC's and the pedigree for the drink was no doubt an addition by the eager Andrew/Duncan MacElhone.

In Harry's place on the hook, however, I'd stick old Vermiere. "Henry of Henry's bar fame in Paris" sure sounds a lot like "Harry of Harry's bar fame in Paris". That he also may have flubbed the recipe doesn't surprise either. Turn 2 more pages and you'll find him waxing upon the "Wardate" cocktail and its invention in Chicago to commemorate the American entry into WWI.

myers

[jazzyjeff]

Hi all,

The recipe in the Artistry of Mixing Drinks by Frank Meier for the drink is as follows:

Seventy Five ("75")

In shaker: a teaspoon of Anis "Pernod fils", the juice of one-quarter lemon, one-half glass of Gin; shake well, strain into small wineglass, fill with Champagne and serve.

Hope this is of some help

J

[fatdeko]

I just checked, and to be fair to Vermiere, he did clean up his "Ward Eight" in later editions, even mentioning that it was born in "Boston (U.S.A), a city divided into eight wards"

myers

[ThinkingBartender]

Hi all,

The recipe in the Artistry of Mixing Drinks by Frank Meier for the drink is as follows:

Seventy Five ("75")

In shaker: a teaspoon of Anis "Pernod fils", the juice of one-quarter lemon, one-half glass of Gin; shake well, strain into small wineglass, fill with Champagne and serve.

Hope this is of some help

J

←

Thanks J,

That definately helps! and confuses!-)

[Splificator]

I'd take Harry off the hook for any presumption. The citation I mentioned above comes from the 1986 edition of Harry's ABC's and the pedigree for the drink was no doubt an addition by the eager Andrew/Duncan MacElhone.

In Harry's place on the hook, however, I'd stick old Vermiere. "Henry of Henry's bar fame in Paris" sure sounds a lot like "Harry of Harry's bar fame in Paris". That he also may have flubbed the recipe doesn't surprise either. Turn 2 more pages and you'll find him waxing upon the "Wardate" cocktail and its invention in Chicago to commemorate the American entry into WWI.

myers

←

The "75" Cocktail appears in the original, 1922 Harry's ABC's, written when he was still at Ciro's in London. (Recipe is essentially as in the later Harry's book). He only says that "This cocktail was very popular in France during the war, and named after the French light field gun)."

Henry's on Rue Volney was the bar for American expats to drink at before Harry's; it opened some time in the 1890s and ran until Henry's suicide in, I believe, 1918. It was famous for its bartenders and its cocktails. It was right around the corner from the bar that would become Harry's. But enough trivia.

[ThinkingBartender]

So as MacElhone doesn't claim the 75 Cocktail, would it be safe to assume that he didn't invent it?

Are there any records of Henry (Rue Volney) and his cocktail creations?

Cheers!

George

Edited December 1, 2006 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[fatdeko]

And while on the tangential subject of American Ex-pat bars in Paris of the 20's....What ever became of Jimmy Charters? A good part of me wants him to be "Jimmy, Late of Ciro's" since Ciro's in Deauville and Monte Carlo appear in his book--I think he even worked at one of them. Frank Meier is also mentioned a couple of times, but purely in passing.

myers

[ThinkingBartender]

And while on the tangential subject of American Ex-pat bars in Paris of the 20's....What ever became of Jimmy Charters? A good part of me wants him to be "Jimmy, Late of Ciro's" since Ciro's in Deauville and Monte Carlo appear in his book--I think he even worked at one of them. Frank Meier is also mentioned a couple of times, but purely in passing.

myers

←

And there was also a Ciro's across the road from Harry's New York Bar.

[ThinkingBartender]

Another tid-bit about Frank Meier is that he was stricken with gout.

[fatdeko]

And once stricken, who was his understudy? None other than Oscar Haimo.

myers

[ThinkingBartender]

And once stricken, who was his understudy? None other than Oscar Haimo.

myers

←

As I recall, you have several of Oscar Haimo's books, ("Cocktail and Wine Digest"); what are his recipes for the 75 Cocktail and French '75?

Also, does Frank Meier say when he arrived in Paris? at the beginning of Prohibition perhaps?

Frank is famous for working at the Cambon Bar, which was nicknamed "Frank's", but that establishment only opened in 1921.

Edited December 2, 2006 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[ThinkingBartender]

The Chronicle Telegram, November 28, 1933:

"When Frank of the Paris Ritz comes over to function at the bar of the New York Ritz, his famous drinkery in rue Cambon will be conducted by Harry McElhone, long proprietor of Harry's bar."

This has something to do with the opening of the New York Ritz in 1934; and Frank was not the only one to be lending a helping hand at the NY Ritz:

Reno Evening Gazette, Mar 7, 1934

"First will come Frank of the Paris Ritz for a few months. Then Harry Craddock of the London Savoy. August of the Adlon and so on."

What sort of arrangement is this, that allows the owner of a local, and one would assume rival bar, in charge of one of the most famous bars in the world (even if only for a "few months"). Then to get Craddock as well.

*ponders*

George

Edited December 2, 2006 by ThinkingBartender (log)