Pbenjay's Blog

TASTY TIDBITS TUESDAY

“It’s cocktail time.  Few phrases flood the senses with such unimpeded a tingle of delight.  The mind rushes to imagine the astringent whiff of gin, the ice-cold silver shaker, the first pleasant trickle accompanied by the certainty that the world will soon seem a  much  better place than it appeared to be a better just a few minutes ago.

Like Marilyn Monroe, the cocktail has become one of the great cultural icons of the twentieth century. “ from Vintage Cocktails, Authentic Recipes and Illustrations from 1920-1960, by Susan Waggoner and Robert Markel.

Between the Sheets – This after-Prohibition after-dinner drink was meant to seduce as well as settle.

1 oz. cognac

1 oz.  Cointreau

1 oz. dry Gin

Juice of two lemons, strained of seeds

Put plenty of cracked ice in a cocktail shaker, add the ingredients, and shake briskly.  Strain into a cocktail glass

This after-Prohibition after-dinner drink was meant to seduce as well as settle.  It accomplishes both.

Cuba Libre – The first Cuba Libre was mixed in Cuba in August 1900.  All too often this drink is sadly  presented as Rum and Coke – the recipe will bear out the difference.

1 small lime

Curbre Libre

1 1/2 oz. Bacardi Rum

Cocoa Cola

Cut lime and strain juice into a tall Collins glass. Scrape peel clean, cut in pieces, and add the peel to the glass.  Pour in the rum. Muddle, working so that the sides of the glass are coated with liquid. Then add ice and Coca Cola.

The Daiquiri – As the story goes, it was invented in a malarial swampland in Cuba.  Rum was added to the drinking water as a fever preventative.  It was introduced to America by Navy Admiral Lucas Johnson in 1909.

1 1/2 oz. white rum

1 tsp. sugar

juice of 1 1/2 small limes-strained of seeds

Place rum, sugar and lime juice in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice and shake swiftly.  Don’t overmix, a good daiquiri should be ice-cold but not diluted in the least. Strain and serve at once.

Gimlet – A real Gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s lime juice and nothing else.

7 & 7 – A classic composed of Seagram’s 7-Crown Whiskey and 7-Up

Mai Tai – Tahitian in name, the drink was made Victor (Trader Vic’s) in California in 1944.

1 oz. light rum

My Mai Tai

1 oz. dark rum

1/2 oz. curacao

1 1/2 tsp. simple syrup

1 1/2 tsp. almond syrup

Lime peel and a Mint sprig

Place rums, curacao and syrups in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Shake, strain into a chilled old-fashioned glass, and garnish with lime and mint. Serve with a straw and a stirrer.

Classic Manhattan

1 1/2 oz. rye

3/4 oz. sweet Vermouth

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Maraschino cherry

Place cracked  ice in a cocktail shaker and add rye or bourbon or blended whiskey, vermouth and bitters. Shake, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, add cherry.

Mint Julep Served at the Kentucky Derby around 1875, it became the official drink in the late 1830’s.

2 tsp. sugar

2 Tbs. water

6-8 sprigs of mint

6 oz. bourbon

Place sugar and water in a mixing glass and muddle until sugar is completely dissolved.  Add all but one sprig of mint and crush slightly to release the fragrance.  Let stand a few minutes, then transfer to a frosted Collins glass or silver cup like the traditional vessel for juleps. Fill the glass partially with crushed ice. Add bourbon, stir once, then add enough additional ice to fill the glass. Garnish with the reserved mint.

Pink Gin – A favorite among British officers in India whose systems had difficulty with the food, climate and water.

4-5 dashes of Angostura Bitters

2 oz. gin

twist of lemon peel

Shake 4 or 5 dashes of bitters into a chilled cocktail glass. Tip the glass rolling from side to side until the bitters coat the inside of the glass.  Pour off excess. Gently pour gin into the glass, add a piece of cracked ice if desired, and garnish with a slim twist of lemon peel.

Rob Roy –It’s smokey auburn hue reminds us that Rob Roy’s real surname was Macgregor, with the nickname “Roy” given to denote his wild red hair.

1 1/2 oz. Scotch

3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour scotch and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass with cracked ice.  Add bitters,stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass into which the cherry has been already placed.

Invite your friends over to watch Mad Men and serve some of these truly Retro Cocktails.

Drink Responsibly