Sour Kisses

From Hugo Ensslin's Recipes for Mixed Drinks (1916-1917)

SOUR KISSES


2 ounces London Dry Gin (strong like Beefeaters or Gordon's 47.3%)
1 ounce French Vermouth (I like Lillet Blanc for this one)
1/2-3/4 ounce egg white
1 dash Orange Flower Water


Shake well in a mixing glass with cracked ice, strain into a small stem glass and serve.


A refreshing summer way to enjoy your vermouth and gin. Great name for this drink, and apt too.

The fluffy egg and thick, wet Lillet combine for a texture that is velvety and soft like a kiss. It is slightly sour and very vermouth forward, even with the soft Lillet.

Be careful not to use too much orange flower water. It should be the salt in your soup. A little goes a long way to bring out the flavors already there. Just as with bitters, if you can taste it, you have used too much.

Frankenjack

Here's How!, published in 1927, is a title known to collectors for the many recipes that were copied verbatim into the 1930 Savoy cocktail book. Harry Craddock and the book's editors also borrowed from McElhone, Ensslin and Vermeire among others, which puts the book in good company. 

Judge Jr. was the nomes de plume of one Norman Hume Anthony, who spent quite a bit of time in Frank & Jack's according to an article from TIME magazine from June 19,1939.

Apparently, Norman was still the editor of the Judge in 1927 when Here's How was published...he was fired in 1930 though and spent "several months biting his nails" in Frank & Jack's speakeasy.

There's a bit of a"wardrobe malfunction" going on here if you look close.

Eventually he was hired by Publisher John Delacorte to start the very successful "Ballyhoo" publication, described as a "bathroom burlesque of bathroom advertising".

The "Frankenjack" cocktail was among the recipes first published in this book, and as it states in the notes, was named after the proprietors of a "very, very" well-known speakeasy in New York City.

A famous Frank and Jack's speakeasy, which I think we can safely assume is the same establishment, was described in Michael Batterberry's “On the Town in New York” as follows:

More typical was Frank and Jack’s, a jolly place where there were generally a hundred people jammed into a tiny kitchen barely large enough to hold three tables. Among those struggling for air and room enough to laugh might be Jimmy Durante, Pat Rooney, or Peggy Hopkins Joyce. It was Frank and Jack who perfected the gambit of getting rid of one drunk by asking him to assist another out the door. 

The Frankenjack from Here's How by "Judge Jr." as pub'd in 1927

THE FRANKENJACK

1 ounce (30 ml) Gordon's Export gin (or Beefeater)

1 ounce (30 ml) French Vermouth (I used my fav Kina Lillet sub, Cocchi Americano)

1/2 ounce (15 ml) apricot brandy (Marie Brizard "Apry")

1/2 ounce (15 ml) Cointreau

Stir well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Over the years many recipes have called for this to be a shaken drink. With the absence of citrus however this drink is much better suited to being well stirred.

This drink is basically a Claridge cocktail (sans the chocolate powder dusting) from Harry McElhone's 1922 ABC of Mixing Cocktails. The Frankenjack sounds like something you'd actually order at a bar though, and made for a good story here.

It's a nice drink. Too fruity to be a martini, though that is obviously the base drink here. I suppose if they'd named this 60 years later it would be a "Aprytini" or something "clever" like that. 

The Apry is certainly the dominate flavor, with the Cointreau's orange playing a supporting role only.

Using the Cocchi Americano over a regular dry vermouth gives the drink a nice roundness and silky mouth feel putting this drink more on the sweet side. 

The 47.3% A.B.V. Gordon's Export does a great job of making sure things don't get too sweet, use a good quality, high proof gin for this one for sure.

Tia Juano

TIA JUANO


2 ounces (60 ml) reposado tequila
1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) Lillet Blanc
1/2 ounce (15 ml) Campari


Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

There were not many tequila drinks published by 1937 when this drink, along with several others, appeared in W.J. "Billy" Tarling's Cafe Royal Cocktail Book, which is one of the many good reasons that this title is so popular with UK bartenders.

I really like this one, which is why I translated the recipe into a 4 oz drink rather than 2 ounces. Normally I try to make my drinks 3 ounces, but that would make for some inconvenient measurements here.

I go Lillet blanc over my Noilly Prat here for its strong citrus notes as well as its thicker, silkier mouth feel. Since Lillet is not overly wine forward it tends to act more as a binder here, giving texture and character without being overwhelming.

For the tequila, a nice reposado, but nothing too fancy. I'm a longtime fan of the Cazadores, which works very well here, and have been happy to see it become cheaper and more available in recent years.

The Campari gives the drink a nice rosy color, and it's grapefruit flavors shine through and work really well with the tequila.

Ultimately, this is a tequila drink first and foremost, so use one that you like.

I found that this drink warmed well too...just another reason to go for the big drink. (It's an easy one to cut in half though for experimenting).

It is one for those who do not take sugar in their coffee or tea, as its flavors tend towards bitter and astringent - and tequila, yum. Enjoy.

The Shamrock

OK....I guess I can't let the day get away without one more quick post. It's called the Shamrock, it's green, and it's St. Patty's day - and I know that the Jimmie Lee, though good, will not be for everyone. So here's another for you if you happen to still be looking for a little more Saint Patrick's Day inspiration.

It comes from Hugo R. Ensslin's 1916 Recipes for Mixed Drinks.

The Shamrock:


1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) Red Breast Irish Whiskey
1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) green Chartreuse
1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) Creme de Menthe


Stir with cracked ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve with an olive.

This isn't the first time I've mixed this one, or the first time I've thought the olive was a bit much to be honest.

It's a very strange drink, the olive's saltiness tends to be a bit distracting to me making me thing it could be a contrived garnish to go with the "green" theme. An actual shamrock, or bit of mint makes more sense to me.

Still, like I said, it's not the first time I've made this one. The fact that it is half Irish Whiskey still surprises as I sip away. The Creme de Menthe just seems to add color and no strong flavor other than to lighten the strong herbals of the chartreuse green with a hint of mint. Overall, a very enjoyable cocktail.

So, should you feel compelled to make a "green martini" for this or a future St. Patrick's day celebration, consider this alternative from the last known bartender's guide to be published in NYC before prohibition.

(By the way, the olive does make an excellent treat at the end, probably why I still use it.)

The Jimmie Lee

An Old Waldorf Bar Days Recipe

For some reason, March is always madness for me. I know posts have been slow in the coming this month, but the day job has to come first!

I'm sure my great-grandpba Parker, an Irish-American from county Cork, would not approve of my failing to post a good drink in honor of the day though...so to him I raise this Gaelic inspired riff on a classic perfect martini, because a great gin and vermouth drink is always good in my book!

The recipe appears in the 1931 title, Old Wardorf Bar Days, as follows:

A good story, though hard to say if there is any truth to it. Johnnie Solon was apparently prone to embellishment in his fact giving. 

If nothing else, it's a great drink...and what can be more appropriate for St. Patty's day, and to honor my own ancestor, than a (good) drink named in honor of a Irish-American immigrant from the early 20th century.

Jimmie Lee

1 ounce (30 ml) Noilly Prat dry French vermouth

1 ounce (30 ml) Punt e Mes sweet Italian vermouth

1 ounce (30 ml) Plymouth Gin

1 dash Peychaid's Bitters

Stir the gin and vermouth well with ice, pour into a double rocks glass mostly filled with crushed ice. Add some more crushed ice to the top and add dash of bitters to the fresh ice. Twist a slice of orange peel over top, rub the rim of the glass and drop in as a garnish.

As you could expect with 2/3 the volume being made of vermouth, the drink has strong herbal and wine characteristics, but the gin gives the drink a backbone. 

It reminded me a lot of a good a sherry cobbler (yes, they are growing on me). The Peychaud's bitters on top allows its aromatic qualities to really shine, especially with the added orange zest.

It is quite refreshing, and seemed to give a hint of the warm weather around the corner, when crushed ice season will return in full force!

Since the hint of spring is what this holiday has always really been about to me anyway, I chose this recipe to celebrate it. Happy St. Patty's everyone, I raise this one to you as well!

(By the way, if you happen to have Chartreuse Elixir Vegetal, a few dashes on the top in addition to the Peychaud's sends this one to a whole 'nother level - Cheers!)

Brooklyn

The Brooklyn cocktail comes from a very rare 1908 title by Jacob Abraham Grohusko entitled Jack's Manual.

Jack's Manual, J.A. Grohusko, 1908

The drink's merit is obviously endorsed by how quickly the recipe spread, and it's continued popularity to this day...well...maybe I shouldn't be that hard on it. In fact, this drink, though it has had its followers, was never that popular of a Manhattan variation and it shows up only here and there over the years.

Since this recipe is a personal favorite, I'm going to go into a little more depth with this one. I'll feature the  Jack's Manual recipe later as the base for my recommended recipe, so let's start with Jacques Straub's 1914 recipe in Drinks (once thought to be the earliest recipe) and work up from there, checking in on the recipe here and there as it has aged.

Drinks, Jacques Straub, 1914

Next we'll check in on Harry & Wynn's Barflies & Cocktails version from 1927:

Barflies & Cocktails, Harry & Wynn, 1927

In 1930 it makes an appearance in The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock:

Brooklyn Cocktail (Savoy 1930)

1 dash Amer Picon

1 dash Maraschino

2/3 Canadian Club whiskey

1/3 French vermouth.

Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

(I guess Straub lifted this one from Jack's Manual as it does not appear in 1931's Old Waldorf Bar Days...the Brooklyn apparently not having been popular enough with that crowd for its inclusion.)

It was included in the original UKBG from 1934:

Approved Drinks United Kingdom Bartender's Guide, 1934

Frank Meier took a stab at it in 1936 in The Artistry of Mixing Drinks, interesting for a Paris bartender to leave out the Amer Picon!

 Artistry of Mixing Drinks, Frank Meier, 1936

Billy Tarling made sure to include in his 1937 update of the UKBG:

Cafe Royal Cocktail Book, W.J. Tarling, 1937

By 1948, Embury's take indicates that the Brooklyn's popularity had obviously begun to fade.

The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, Embury, 1948

It appears in a few modern books, though not many. Robert Hess changed the dry vermouth to sweet in his 2008 title Essential Bartender's Guide. Though I'm sure it would work, I think it would technically be a "Sweet Brooklyn". Mr. Boston's also lists their recipe with sweet vermouth.

Most of the recipes though time call for a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio of rye to vermouth. Ted Haigh in "Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails" includes a recipe with dry vermouth, but his adaptation calls for using 2 oz of rye and only 3/4 oz of dry vermouth, using enough vermouth I suppose to make it a Brooklyn - but we're getting further away from this drink's roots.

Rye and dry vermouth...apparently not the most popular mix! That's really what this drink is all about though. If you are not into the base spirits, then this drink is likely going to fall flat for you.

If you are lucky enough to have a bottle of real Amer Picon, then you can make a real Brooklyn. At only 1 dash though, its flavor is really in the background.

A century ago when these recipes were written, Amer Picon was made stronger than it is now. So you can add more of it if you like, and remain true to the original creations, which is why the amount of Amer Picon in my recommended recipe below is larger than the amount of maraschino liqueur.

So, ready to try one? Let's see where it all began and look at the Jack's Manual recipe from 1908:

Jack's Manual, J.A. Grohusko, 1908

Brooklyn Cocktail

1.5 ounces (45 ml) Wild Turkey 101 Rye Whiskey
1.5 ounces (45 ml) Cocchi Americano
3/4 tsp (3.75 ml) Amer Picon
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur


Stir and strain into cocktail glass, garnish with an orange twist.


I'm going to follow suit here with previous authors through time by making a few slight adjustments to make this drink more to my liking - while trying to stay as true to the 1908 original version as possible.

I'm not sure what the flavor profile of "Ballor" was, but I did some experimenting to help me dial in my own preferred ingredients.

I've enjoyed this drink many times on its own, but here was a chance to make a batch for side-by-side comparisons.

I started by making this recipe with Noilly Pratt, Lillet Blanc and Cocchi Americano against Rittenhouse bonded.

The Noilly was of course the driest of the bunch.  Though I had a better sense of the Rittenhouse with this combo than the others, and liked how it allowed the rye's flavors to shine through the mix. The Noilly's flavors managed to hold up well to my "generous" dashes of the Maraschino and Amer Picon. This combo is perfectly enjoyable. Especially if you have developed a taste for dry vermouth, as its flavor comes through well in this variation.

I would recommend Lillet blanc for the wine lovers out there, as the sauvignon blanc and semillon grapes in Lillet's base show up nicely here. It was a a mid-point between the Noilly Prat & Cocchi in terms of dryness.

The Cocchi was like a big wet kiss after trying the first two. Round & luscious with even more of a silky mouth feel than the Lillet, here was a very drinkable variation. Cocchi is not always my favorite choice, it is a little "off" in many combos for my palate. As with many bottles worth having though, when it works, it works really well!

(Cocchi Americano is blend of Moscato d'Asti, the roots of gentian flowers, cinchona bark and a secret blend of botanicals. It's known to be the truest recipe to the original Kina Lillet available on the market today.)

The fourth in the lineup was made with Wild Turkey 101 rye and Cocchi Americano.

Here was the mix I was after. It was the most "Manhattan-ish" of the lot. The Wild Turkey rye's bigger oak profile worked well to tame the Cocchi down for a nice balance. In turn, the Cocchi smoothed out the rough edges of the whiskey, while retaining its bitter, citrusy profile without overpowering the whiskey to the point that it had with the Rittenhouse. The flavors of the Maraschino and Amer Picon come through as well, but are not overpowering. There was something new here as well, the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, which is always the hallmark of a great cocktail.

The Wild Turkey/Chocchi on a 1:1 ratio was how my palate found the Brooklyn best to its liking, but these were all enjoyable combinations. I guess that's why the Brooklyn is a favorite of mine and many others - it's a flexible drink that offers many different experiences. Including hopefully, a favorite combination for you as well.

K.O. Cocktail

Here again, a wonderful treasure from the Cafe Royal Cocktail Book (1937).

THE K.O.


1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) London dry gin
3/4 ounce (22 ml) Jamaica Rum
3/4 ounce (22 ml) French Vermouth


Stir well with ice in a mixing glass and strain into a cocktail glass.

I went with Lillet blanc here, as I thought it would go better with the Smith & Cross rum than a traditional French Vermouth, but Noilly Prat should be good here too.

The gin, even though it makes up half the drink, takes a back seat to the Smith & Cross, which really comes to life in this cocktail. The silky texture and light florals of the Lillet also work extremely well.

I actually was a bit knocked out by this one. I like my Martini's wet, and love gin and Lillet together. The addition of a "full-hogo" high-proof rum, not as a base but as a balancing flavor, is brilliant.

It leaves me with one thing to say. "The drink is nice, Heini."

Blackstone Cocktail(s)

In 1908, Jacques Straub, (author of "Drinks"- 1914), set up the wine program for and stocked the cellars of Chicago's exclusive Blackstone Hotel. He remained there until 1920 when Prohibition put an end to this career.

Blackstone Hotel, Chicago 1914

Jacques was at the Blackstone from the very beginning, signing on in 1908 when the earliest parts of the hotel were completing. (Construction would continue through 1910.)

In the 5 or so years he was at the Blackstone before his book was published, he managed to create four turn-of-the-(last)-century "martini" variations. I'm not sure if these were offered all at the same time, seasonally, or sequentially. They do make a nice list though, and if one were pressed to create a vintage "Martini Menu", this would fit the bill nicely.

Mr. Straub was never a bartender, but he obviously had great taste and was a decent record keeper. This perhaps explains his penchant for shaking drinks that should be stirred, and vice-versa. His great collection of recipes aside, he's wrong in his instructions to shake, and without exception, the list below should be stirred.

Adapted we have:

Blackstone Cocktail


1.5 ounces (45 ml) London Dry Gin (I used Bombay Dry Gin)
.75 ounce (22 ml) Italian vermouth (Carpano Antica)
.75 ounce (22 ml) French vermouth (Cocchi Americano, for fun)
1 piece orange peel


Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with cracked ice. Strain into a cocktail glass. Flame the oils from an orange peel over the top of the drink, rub rim of glass with peel, and drop peel into glass. 

His intent in the cryptic recipe was probably to include the orange peel in the shaker and to strain it out of the mix before serving. I went with the flamed peel to add a little extra depth, considering the lack of bitters.

The drink was plush and elegant, just as you would expect from such a newly-minted high class establishment. Basically a "perfect" martini with orange peel.

Blackstone No.1


2 1/4 ounces (67 ml) Old Tom gin. (I used Hayman's Old Tom)
.75 ounce (22 ml) Italian Vermouth (I used Punt E Mes)
Lemon twist for garnish

Stir in mixing glass, strain into a cocktail glass. Twist lemon peel over top and drop into glass.

I used a Meyer lemon for the twist here and it's sharp, acrid, pine-like nose made the Old Tom more "gin-like" in my opinion. The sour/quinine profile of the Punt e Mes also offset the sweet Old Tom nicely. I liked this one more than I thought I would. It's simple ingredients provided a surprising amount of depth.

Blackstone No. 2
(Special Blackstone)


2 ounces (60 ml) dry gin (I used Plymouth Dry here)
1 ounce (30 ml) French vermouth. (I used Lillet Blanc)
orange twist for garnish


Stir in mixing glass, strain into cocktail glass. Add orange twist, zesting over top of the glass, and use as garnish.

A "wet" martini if ever there was one. If you like martinis, this one is delightfully easy to drink. The lillet is sweet and silky smooth on the mouth. The Plymouth comes through, but since Plymouth is a very light, smooth gin it's not overpowering. The orange zest provides the right balance on the nose making this a very drinkable, very enjoyable martini.

Blackstone No. 3 Special


1 dash absenthe (I used Kubler)
1 ounce (30 ml) French vermouth (I used Noilly Prat)
1 ounce (30 ml) dry gin (I used Bombay dry)
lemon twist for garnish

Stir in mixing glass, strain into cocktail glass. Add lemon twist, zesting over top of the glass, and use as garnish.

What can I say about this one? It's a gin martini, made in the old style (2:1 ratio), with dash absinthe. I took a little more liberty on this one and substituted a grapefruit twist for the lemon. After tasting it on it's own, I added one dash each of Scrappy's "celery" and "grapefruit" bitters. Then it was very, very nice. 

A menu worth of Chicago's "A" list, it's an excellent range of early martini variations. For me, the best experience was the gentle complexity of the No. 1 with the Meyer lemon twist. What is your favorite?

Sweet & Vicious

This recipe is from Masson & Boehm's modern wad o' drinks "The Big Bartender's Book".

With over 1000 authoritative recipes it's a great book to simply open eyes closed and point to a page. It rarely takes me more than a few tries to land on something that looks really good.

The "Sweet & Vicious" is accredited to one "Alexander Day, New York", (of Death & Company fame).

One sip of this concoction and I was transported back to the famed NYC watering hole. Here's an easy, modern classic, that I hope you will enjoy.

The Sweet & Vicious

2 ounces (60 ml) rye
1/2 ounce (15 ml) dry vermouth
1/2 oz (15ml) Amaro Nonino
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 slices Fuji apple

Lightly muddle apple in the base of a mixing glass. Add remaining ingredients, ice and stir. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with thin slice of Fuji apple.

Even lightly muddling, you may want to use an additional fine mesh strainer as you pour from the mixing glass into the cocktail glass. This is to remove any apple pulp and keep your drink nice and clear.

I used Wild Turkey 101 Rye for it's nice nutty characteristics and Noilly Prat for the dry vermouth because I prefer Noilly over the other French dry vermouths that I have tried and...well, I just don't go through much dry vermouth, so it's the only one I keep on hand. If I get small bottles I usually go through it before it goes bad, as long as I keep it refrigerated. (Always use fresh vermouth!)

I'll sometimes use Lillet Blanc or Cocchi Americano in place of a dry vermouth in a recipe, but not here. The Noilly is just right. No, I wouldn't change a thing here. This one is very good, enjoy.