Ritz Sidecar

A cocktail I won’t make, it’s the Ritz Sidecar:

• 5 parts very old cognac
• 3 parts Cointreau
• 2 parts fresh lemon juice

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, strain tremulously into a chilled cocktail glass, and stare at the treasure in rapt silence for a full fifteen seconds before quaffing.

By “very old cognac” he means at least pre-Phylloxera cognac. Phylloxera is an aphid-like insect that was brought to Europe from grape vines in America. The American vines had resistance to it, but the European vines were devastated. While I’ve never had cognac that old, I’ve been told that many people believe it was better than that produced today. The real cognac snob wants pre-Oidium cognac. Oidium, from what I can tell, was a form of powdery mildew that caused damage to French vines starting in 1854 before Phylloxera came along to finish the job.

Saint Croix Rum Fix

The fix is in. Well, the Saint Croix Rum Fix:

• 2.0 ounce Virgin Islands Rum (Cruzan Estate Dark Rum recommended)
• 0.5 ounce pineapple syrup
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 teaspoons sugar or simple syrup

In a tumbler or large wineglass, combine the ingredients. Stir until dissolved. Pack crushed ice into the glass and garnish with seasonal fruit. Serve with a straw.

I am still searching for someone to definitively help me with some classic cocktail terms. For example, I have no idea about what really defines a Fizz, or a Sling, nor a Rickey or a Collins, or a Julep or a Swizzle.

Pink Gin

“What is a cocktail?” A question raised by Pink Gin:

• 3 ounces Plymouth Gin
• 6 goodly dashes Angostura bitters

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker. Strain into a stemmed cocktail glass, sans garnish.

According to Wikipedia, the first use of the word “cocktail” to refer to a beverage was in 1806:

“Cock-tail is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters”

So, what happens when you forget the sugar and water? What makes a cocktail a cocktail and not just swilling booze from a bottle? Can I put a small cube of ice in a glass of Powers and call it a cocktail? There is an entire class of two ingredient cocktails called the “highball” but the second ingredient is usually a fizzy soda product that is more than just water. I was not looking forward to making this drink.

The Soother

Aptly named, it’s The Soother:

• 1.0 ounce cognac
• 1.0 ounce Jamaican rum (Coruba recommended)
• 0.5 ounce orange curaçao
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon apple juice
• 1/2 teaspoon simply syrup (or Agave Nectar)

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a goblet. Garnish with a fancy lemon twist.

There is a lot going on in this drink. It’s listed in a book called Old Waldorf Bar Days from 1931, but it wasn’t listed in the cocktail section but instead in one called “Fancy Potations & Otherwise”. In any case, it is tasty.

Pineapple Syrup

Infusing simple syrup with other flavors is pretty common. Here is Dr. Cocktail’s recipe for Pineapple Syrup:

• 4 cups cane sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 small fresh pineapple, skinned and cubed

Stir all ingredients together. Let stand for 24 hours. Remove the pineapple cubes, lightly pressing them with a hand juicer or other method to squeeze some additional juice into the mixture. Stir to dissolve any residual sugar. Pour the resulting syrup through a tea strainer or cheesecloth-lined funnel into a 1.5 liter bottle. Add a small dash of spirits (any distillate of at least 80 proof; 151 rum recommended) as a preservative. Keep refrigerated. It should keep for three months easily.

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Seventh Heaven

In ancient beliefs, the best place to end up is the Seventh Heaven:

• 1.75 ounces gin
• 0.50 ounce maraschino liqueur
• 0.25 ounce grapefruit juice

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Short and sweet, this is a nice little cocktail. It is similar to several others, such as the La Floridita Daiquiri (switch the gin for rum) and the Aviation (switch the grapefruit for lemon).

The Twentieth Century Cocktail

Named after a train, it’s the Twentieth Century Cocktail:

• 1.50 ounces gin
• 0.75 ounce Lillet Blanc
• 0.50 ounce light créme de cacao (or a scant splash, to taste)
• 0.75 ounce fresh lemon juice

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

This cocktail appeared in the 1930s, so it is post-Prohibition, and the train it was named after has been called the Most Famous Train in the World.