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Writer's pictureAndrew BeauChamp

Cocktails, Part One


Since my Eggnog post was so well received I decided to go back in time to the golden age of mixed drinks. I remember that my Grandmother would have these wonderfully interesting beverages and would let me take a taste. Of course, at the time I thought they were really dreadful but when she past I inherited long with her cook books all of her Entertaining and Cocktail books.

Many of the drinks below are from what I believe is a 1921 or 1927 entertaining book, it is hard to tell the date, the book has water damage and the first few pages are stuck together and I am afraid to damage the book by trying to pry them apart. The date I can sort of make out from the back side of the page looks like 1921 or 1927. There is no publisher listed on the spine or anywhere else and there is not even a title on the outer cover. I good friend of mine thinks it might be self-published, which was common during this time. I did take the book to a restorer, but the amount of the restoration was a bit out budget for me, so the mystery will just have to be until I have the funds to answer the question.

Here is a small sampling from the book. The drinks I have listed below are from the most well-worn and stained pages, so I believe the most made of the all the drinks in the book. I know my Grandmother loved her sours and whisky/bourbon/rye/scotch type drinks, and the sweet brandy style beverages after dinner, so it makes sense.

Breakfast Eggnog

1 pony of brandy

1 pony of curacao

1 jigger of milk

1 egg

Shake into frothy, strain into a tall tumbler and garnish with nutmeg

Brain Duster

1 pony of brandy

1 pony of Dubonnet

1 pony of Vermouth, French

Shake, pour into a tall glass and top with seltzer

Hook and Eye

1 pony Apricot brandy

1 pony of brandy

1 dash crème de menthe, white

1 dash anisette

Shake, and pour over crushed ice in sherry glass, top with seltzer

Morning star

1 egg

1 jigger cream

1 pony white port

1 tablespoon scotch whisky

shake, strain into a sour glass and top off with seltzer

Morning Glory

1 pony of whisky

1 pony brandy

1 dash absinthe

3 dashes gum syrup

2 dashes bitters

2 dashes curacao

shake, pour into a tall glass top off with seltzer and garnish with a lemon peel

Old Pepper

1 pony of rye

1 pony of bourbon

2 dashes of chili sauce

2 dashes Worcestershire

2 drop tabasco

Shake, pour over crushed ice in rocks glass

Soul Kiss

1 pony French Byrrh or absinthe

1 pony vermouth, French

1 pony whisky

juice of one orange

½ teaspoon simple syrup

Shake, strain into a tall glass and top off with seltzer

Suisse

1 ½ ponies’ absinthe

1 teaspoon anisette

splash of water

Stir, pour over ice

Suisette

1 ½ ponies of brandy

1 pony vermouth, Italian

2 dashes absinthe

1 dash anisette

juice on a small lemon

2 teaspoons simple syrup

Shake and serve over crushed ice in a sherry glass

Breakfast Bracers

1 jigger vermouth, Italian

3 dashes absinthe

shake, strain into a sour glass and top off with seltzer

Bracer de Luxe

1 pony absinthe

1 dash anisette

1 dash vermouth, French

1 dash chartreuse

juice of half a small lemon

1 teaspoon simple syrup

Shake, strain into a sour glass and top off with seltzer

Charleston Bracer

1 jigger brandy

1 jigger port

1 egg

3 dashes simple syrup

shake until frothy and strain into a sours glass

Cacao Bracer

1 pony of Crème de Cacao

juice of ½ small orange

juice of ½ a small lime

juice of ½ a small lemon

Shake, pour into a sour glass and top off with seltzer

Amer Picon Sour

I jigger Amer Picon

3 dashes Grenadine

Juice of ½ a small lime

Juice of ½ a small lemon

2 dashes simple syrup

1 white cherry

1 slice orange

1 slice pineapple

Shake, strain into a sour glass top off with seltzer and garnish with fruit

Brandy Sour

1 jigger brandy

1 dash curacao

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

juice ½ a small lemon

1 slice of orange

berries for garnish

Shake, strain into a sour glass top off with seltzer and garnish with fruit

Brunswick Sour

1 jigger of whisky

juice of ½ a small lemon

1 teaspoon simple syrup

shake, strain into a sour glass, float claret on top, garnish with fruit

Champagne Sour

1 cube of sugar

juice ½ a small lemon

lemon slice

Place cube of sugar in the bottom of a fluted glass, add lemon juice then fill with champagne, stir gently and garnish with a lemon slice

Double Standard Sour

1 pony of whisky

1 pony of gin

2 dashes of grenadine

juice of 1 lime

½ teaspoon simple syrup

Shake, strain into a sour glass top off with seltzer, garnish with fruit

Egg Sour

1 jigger of brandy

1 dash absinthe

1 tablespoon simple syrup

1 egg

juice of 1 lemon

Shake until frothy, pour into a rocks glass and garnish with nutmeg

Jersey Sour

1 jigger applejack

juice of ½ a small lemon

teaspoon simple syrup

slice of lemon

Shake, strain into a sour glass and top off with seltzer garnish with lemon slice

Hancock Sour

1 jigger bourbon whisky

2 dashes of rum

4 dashes of rock candy syrup

juice of a lime

Shake, strain into a sour glass and top off with seltzer and garnish with fruit

Silver Sour

1 dash rum

1 dash brandy

1 dash applejack

1 dash curacao

1 ½ teaspoons simple syrup

juice of a lemon

Shake, strain into a sour glass, garnish with fruit

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