Monday, October 11, 2010

Pre-prohibition Drinks of the Week [No. 4]

Pre-prohibition Drinks of the Week [No. 4]
By Andrew “the Alchemist”
Sunday, October 10, 2010
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It’s Sunday, and time for another edition of the Pre-prohibition Drinks of the Week!  I wanted to make this an all George Kappeler edition, but no drink fitting the succulent genre is found in his book.  That genre seems to have emerged just before prohibition.
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Pre-prohibition Ensemble of the Week:

BRANDY CHAMPARELLE (á la Kappeler)
Vessel: 2 fl-oz. stemmed cordial goblet
Build in separate layers in the vessel:
→ ¼ fl-oz. maraschino liqueur
→ ¼ fl-oz. premium traditional Curaçao liqueur (creole shrubb is the best modern analog)
→ ¼ fl-oz. yellow Chartreuse™ liqueur
→ ¼ fl-oz. brandy of choice (Cognac brandy is recommended)
Garnish with a few drops of Angostura™ aromatic additive bitters
Enjoy!

From: Modern American Drinks – by George Kappeler (1895)
Note: only the lack of dilution keeps this drink from being a bittered sling (a.k.a. cocktail).
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Pre-prohibition Sling of the Week:

DUNDORADO COCKTAIL
Vessel: 4½ fl-oz. glass cocktail goblet
Combine in a mixing glass:
→ 1 fl-oz. old tom gin
→ 1 fl-oz. premium sweet vermouth
→ 1 bsp. Calisaya™ grand bitters
→ method ice
Stir for just under two minutes to mix, chill and dilute
Strain into the vessel
Garnish by twisting a strip of lemon zest over the drink and then dropping it in
Enjoy!

From: Modern American Drinks – by George Kappeler (1895)
Note: Calisaya™ was used in American drinks before prohibition, but has not been available for a long time.  It is now being made again in Oregon according to an original Italian formula from the 1800’s.  It is only available in Oregon at the present time.  It is fortunate that I was in Oregon recently.
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Pre-prohibition Posset of the Week:

BALTIMORE EGGNOG
Vessel: 10½ fl-oz. glass banquet goblet (chilled)
Combine in a mixing tin:
→ 1 fl-oz. verdelho Madeira wine
→ ½ fl-oz. brandy of choice (Cognac brandy is recommended)
→ ½ fl-oz. pot-still Jamaica rum (Smith & Cross™ is recommended)
→ 1 pinch. powdered cinnamon
→ 1 tbsp. superfine sugar
→ 1 whole ‘large’ egg {without the shell}
→ 1 fl-oz. heavy cream
→ plenty of method ice
Cover with half-tin and shake vigorously for at least fifteen seconds to mix, chill, dilute and aerate
Finely-strain into the vessel
Garnish with an freshly-grated nutmeg
Enjoy!

From: Modern American Drinks – by George Kappeler (1895)
Note: I have modified the recipe by using a specific amount of heavy cream instead of a vague amount of whole milk
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Pre-prohibition Punch of the Week:

KNICKERBOCKER SOUR
Vessel: 5½ fl-oz. glass sour goblet (chilled)
Combine in a mixing tin:
→ 1¾ fl-oz. pot-still Jamaica rum (Smith & Cross™ is recommended)
→ ¼ fl-oz. premium traditional Curaçao liqueur (creole shrubb is the best modern analog)
→ 1 fl-oz. freshly-pressed Eureka lemon juice
→ 1 dsp. superfine sugar
→ ¼ fl-oz. pineapple syrup
→ plenty of method ice
Cover with half-tin and shake vigorously for at least twenty seconds to mix, chill, dilute and aerate
Finely-strain into the vessel
Garnish with an authentic maraschino cherry on a skewer
Enjoy!

From: Modern American Drinks – by George Kappeler (1895)
Note: Kappeler calls this the Knickerbocker Punch, but since he serves it without ice and does not add any water or other fluid weak ingredient, I will call it a sour.
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Pre-prohibition Grog of the Week:

SOUTHERN COOLER
Vessel: 13½ fl-oz. tall glass tumbler
→ entire paring of Eureka lemon peel (artfully spiraled up entire tumbler)
Insert straw
→ 5 fl-oz. service ice (5 full-ounce cubes)
Build in the vessel:
→ 1 fl-oz. Bourbon whiskey
→ 1 fl-oz. pot-still Jamaica rum (Smith & Cross™ is recommended)
→ ¼ fl-oz. simple 1:1 sugar syrup
→ 6 fl-oz. plain soda
Enjoy!

From: Modern American Drinks – by George Kappeler (1895)
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Pre-prohibition Succulent of the Week:

ORANGE BLOSSOM (á la Waldorf-Astoria)
Vessel: 5 fl-oz. glass wine goblet (chilled)
Combine in a mixing tin:
→ 1 fl-oz. old tom gin
→ 1 fl-oz. premium sweet vermouth
→ 1 fl-oz. freshly-pressed orange juice (Valencia or navel)
→ plenty of method ice
Cover with half-tin and shake vigorously for at least twenty seconds to mix, chill, dilute and aerate
Finely-strain into the vessel
Garnish with a quarter-wheel slice of orange
Enjoy!

From: The Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book – by Albert Stevens Crockett (1935)
{This drink is from the main layer of material in Crockett’s book, which he states came from the original recipe book in his possession that had been used in the hotel’s bar until it closed in 1919.}
Note: depending on how long before 1919 this recipe was added to the repertoire of the Waldorf-Astoria, this may be the oldest recipe for a drink named the ‘Orange Blossom’ that is based on gin and made succulent with orange juice.

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