It has been a bourbon winter for Nicky and I, and my fear was that the bourbon may be put away with the winter clothes. My fears were relieved this week as I came across several light and refreshing bourbon recipes perfect for spring and summer. One of which is today’s selection from Ted Haigh’s … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: The Derby Cocktail
“The Only William” Schmidt has been referred to as The Godfather of Modern Mixology. He was discovered by a New York Sun reporter while tending bar at a hole-in-the-wall next to the Brooklyn Bridge. He went on to be the most celebrated bartender in the country for 16 years. His drinks were original, creative, well … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: The Delicious Sour
The Crimean Cup a la Marmora is a very old, oddly named libation that first appeared in Jerry Thomas’ 1862 tome, Bar-Tender’s Guide. As Mr. Thomas toured the world in the late 1800s making cocktails and entertaining the European elite, one could imagine how he would be impacted by and influenced the images and reports … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: Crimean Cup A La Marmora
I have several favorite drinks. Some are favorites because they simply taste great, others because they also evoke pleasant memories. The Corpse Reviver #2 is one of those drinks for me. Fabulous flavor and some favorite memories. (And I also love a drink with equal portions because the more you imbibe, it is still easy … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: The Corpse Reviver #2
This is a delightful little cocktail with absolutely no known history. Nothing. It appeared in 1933 in a forgettable cocktail pamphlet called “Cocktail Parade.” That’s it. Period. What we can give you is our thoughts on this one. Our sample resulted in a beautiful presentation with layers of colors. The ingredients alone tell you right … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: The Communist
When is a coffee cocktail not a coffee cocktail? Maybe when it hasn’t a drop of coffee in the recipe? And when is a pre-prohibition drink without bitters actually a cocktail? These were our initial questions when we reached drink number 20 in our project. Technically, when cocktails were originated, they had to be a … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: The Coffee Cocktail
In celebrating Mardi Gras this week, it only seems fitting that today’s Vintage Cocktail is one of the oldest cocktails originating from New Orleans – The Brandy Crusta. Over 150 years ago, Joseph Santina invented a new version of a cocktail, the crusta drink form. Basically it involved adding a piece of fruit peel, a … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project – The Brandy Crusta
We have mentioned before the number of famous American bartenders who fled to Europe at the on-set of prohibition. Among those was Harry Craddock. Craddock was a well-respected New York bartender; most celebrated as head bartender of the Hoffman House. In 1920 he found himself behind the bar at the Savoy Hotel American Bar in … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: The Calvados Cocktail
This drink won me over when I realized it is a cousin to one of my favorite drinks, The Negroni. Bourbon replaces the gin and life is good indeed. The Boulevardier first appeared in Barflies and Cocktails, a 1927 book by Harry MacElhone of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. During Prohibition, some of our … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: The Boulevardier
You would think, based on the name, that today’s cocktail is a tiki drink that could be enjoyed while the sun slowly sinks over the horizon. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no rum, fruit, or umbrellas utilized in the creation of this drink. In fact it’s not even a tropical color. … Continue reading Vintage Cocktail Project: The Blue Paradise
Our Libatious Nature 