FOREWORD INTRODUCTION SIGNATURE COCKTAILS GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX 9 10 13 414 416 418 YE AR OR IGIN INV EN TOR PR EMISES ALCOHOL T YPE GL A SSWAR EFOREWORD INTRODUCTION SIGNATURE COCKTAILS GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX 9 10 13 414 416 418 YE AR OR IGIN INV EN TOR PR EMISES ALCOHOL T YPE GL A SSWAR E30 A Blue Blazer is a Scotch hot toddy that is prepared as the liquid is passed back and forth between two mugs while set aflame. Although its origin is up for debate, this pyrotechnic spectacle is closely linked to nineteenth-cen- tury New York City bartender Jerry Thomas— the most widely circulated illustration of him even depicts him gracefully making one in a long arc—who was the first to write down a recipe, which appeared in his 1862 book How To Mix Drinks. And if Thomas isn’t the originator (there is evidence he once took credit), he could at least be attributed with perfecting the quintessen- tial Blue Blazer specs and technique from a version he either first witnessed during his time serving in the US Navy, or much later at the St. Nicholas Hotel while he was working nearby at the Occidental. Drink historian David Wondrich notes that by the 1880s this style of flair bartending was already passé and, by the 1930s, so were the high-proof single malt Scotch whiskies that were inherently flammable. However, the late twentieth- and early twenty-first-cen- tury obsession with antiquated techniques, as well as the prevalence of cask strength whiskies, have, well, reignited appreciation for this sort of bar theater. The original Blue Blazer recipe calls for Scotch, though as the cocktail and the tech- nique of passing a flaming liquid between mugs have become synonymous, modern interpretations often swap out the Scotch for other whiskies and base spirits—rum, gin, tequila, mezcal, brandy, other liqueurs, etc. It’s been noted, particularly by modern cocktail revivalist Dale DeGroff, that if not using a high-strength spirit, preheating it prior to setting the whole drink ablaze should do the trick. BLUE BLAZER Note: It is important to clear the prep area of anything flammable before proceeding, and, as an added precaution, have a damp towel and perhaps even a fire extinguisher at hand. Use flameproof mugs with ample handles. Serves 2 • 4 oz (120 ml) high-proof (50% ABV or over) Scotch whisky • 2 barspoons Demerara or raw sugar • 3 oz (90 ml) boiling water, plus extra to heat mugs • Garnish: 2 lemon twists Preheat two glass toddy mugs, or other non- ceramic, heatproof mugs, with boiling water, then discard before proceeding. Add the whisky, sugar, and 3 oz (90 ml) boiling water to one of the mugs, then carefully light the liquid within. Pass the flaming liquid between the mugs (Thomas was known for his ability to perform this task in a long, perfect, blazing arc, but it’s more than acceptable at first to just get it between the mugs over a much shorter distance) at least four or five times. Divide the liquid evenly between the mugs and, if neces- sary, extinguish the liquid using the bottom of the opposite mug. Garnish each mug with a lemon twist. 1850S NEW YORK CIT Y, USA JERRY THOMAS OCCIDEN TAL HOT EL WHISK Y HEAT PROOF GL ASS MUG 30 A Blue Blazer is a Scotch hot toddy that is prepared as the liquid is passed back and forth between two mugs while set aflame. Although its origin is up for debate, this pyrotechnic spectacle is closely linked to nineteenth-cen- tury New York City bartender Jerry Thomas— the most widely circulated illustration of him even depicts him gracefully making one in a long arc—who was the first to write down a recipe, which appeared in his 1862 book How To Mix Drinks. And if Thomas isn’t the originator (there is evidence he once took credit), he could at least be attributed with perfecting the quintessen- tial Blue Blazer specs and technique from a version he either first witnessed during his time serving in the US Navy, or much later at the St. Nicholas Hotel while he was working nearby at the Occidental. Drink historian David Wondrich notes that by the 1880s this style of flair bartending was already passé and, by the 1930s, so were the high-proof single malt Scotch whiskies that were inherently flammable. However, the late twentieth- and early twenty-first-cen- tury obsession with antiquated techniques, as well as the prevalence of cask strength whiskies, have, well, reignited appreciation for this sort of bar theater. The original Blue Blazer recipe calls for Scotch, though as the cocktail and the tech- nique of passing a flaming liquid between mugs have become synonymous, modern interpretations often swap out the Scotch for other whiskies and base spirits—rum, gin, tequila, mezcal, brandy, other liqueurs, etc. It’s been noted, particularly by modern cocktail revivalist Dale DeGroff, that if not using a high-strength spirit, preheating it prior to setting the whole drink ablaze should do the trick. BLUE BLAZER Note: It is important to clear the prep area of anything flammable before proceeding, and, as an added precaution, have a damp towel and perhaps even a fire extinguisher at hand. Use flameproof mugs with ample handles. Serves 2 • 4 oz (120 ml) high-proof (50% ABV or over) Scotch whisky • 2 barspoons Demerara or raw sugar • 3 oz (90 ml) boiling water, plus extra to heat mugs • Garnish: 2 lemon twists Preheat two glass toddy mugs, or other non- ceramic, heatproof mugs, with boiling water, then discard before proceeding. Add the whisky, sugar, and 3 oz (90 ml) boiling water to one of the mugs, then carefully light the liquid within. Pass the flaming liquid between the mugs (Thomas was known for his ability to perform this task in a long, perfect, blazing arc, but it’s more than acceptable at first to just get it between the mugs over a much shorter distance) at least four or five times. Divide the liquid evenly between the mugs and, if neces- sary, extinguish the liquid using the bottom of the opposite mug. Garnish each mug with a lemon twist. 1850S NEW YORK CIT Y, USA JERRY THOMAS OCCIDEN TAL HOT EL WHISK Y HEAT PROOF GL ASS MUG 32 The Adonis has the distinction of being the first popular low-ABV, sherry-based cocktail in recorded history. It’s named for a wildly successful musical that first opened in Chicago in the early 1880s; the tribute was invented a couple of years later by Joseph F. McKone, head bartender at Madison Square’s Hoffman House hotel in New York City, to celebrate the 500th Broadway performance of what was the Hamilton of its day. This cocktail, so closely associated with theater, was invented in what was itself a showstopper of a bar, which, according to cocktail historian David Wondrich in The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, included paintings by famous artists, such as J. M. W. Turner, and a nymph-tastic center- piece by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, as well as an authentic Napoleonic tapestry. The grandiose bar would not survive the 1890s, but the cocktail lived on as a signature at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, which is sometimes incorrectly cited as its origin. The recipe appears in the 1935 Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book, as well as the 2016 update by then beverage manager Frank Caiafa. Think of Adonis as the older and more zaftig of the two most famous sherry-and-ver- mouth aperitifs of its day—the other being the Bamboo, invented a couple of years later, made with vermouth blanc. While they both call for a drier style of sherry, the use of sweet vermouth in the Adonis adds more body and heft, as well as spice notes. As a popular go-to, low-ABV cocktail option, as with the Bamboo, modern recipes for the Adonis often call for a higher ratio of sherry to vermouth than the original recipe. Aside from its popu- larity in modern cocktail bars, it has enjoyed new life in wine bars, served alongside tapas and cheese boards. ADONIS • 11/2 oz (45 ml) dry sherry (use Manzanilla, Fino, Palo Cortado, or dry Oloroso) • 11/2 oz (45 ml) sweet vermouth • 2 dashes orange bitters • Garnish: orange peel Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until well chilled. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Express the orange peel, skin side down, into the glass, then garnish with the peel twist. 1884/85 NEW YORK CIT Y, USA JOSEPH F. MCKONE HOFFMAN HOUSE SHERRY NICK & NOR A 32 The Adonis has the distinction of being the first popular low-ABV, sherry-based cocktail in recorded history. It’s named for a wildly successful musical that first opened in Chicago in the early 1880s; the tribute was invented a couple of years later by Joseph F. McKone, head bartender at Madison Square’s Hoffman House hotel in New York City, to celebrate the 500th Broadway performance of what was the Hamilton of its day. This cocktail, so closely associated with theater, was invented in what was itself a showstopper of a bar, which, according to cocktail historian David Wondrich in The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, included paintings by famous artists, such as J. M. W. Turner, and a nymph-tastic center- piece by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, as well as an authentic Napoleonic tapestry. The grandiose bar would not survive the 1890s, but the cocktail lived on as a signature at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, which is sometimes incorrectly cited as its origin. The recipe appears in the 1935 Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book, as well as the 2016 update by then beverage manager Frank Caiafa. Think of Adonis as the older and more zaftig of the two most famous sherry-and-ver- mouth aperitifs of its day—the other being the Bamboo, invented a couple of years later, made with vermouth blanc. While they both call for a drier style of sherry, the use of sweet vermouth in the Adonis adds more body and heft, as well as spice notes. As a popular go-to, low-ABV cocktail option, as with the Bamboo, modern recipes for the Adonis often call for a higher ratio of sherry to vermouth than the original recipe. Aside from its popu- larity in modern cocktail bars, it has enjoyed new life in wine bars, served alongside tapas and cheese boards. ADONIS • 11/2 oz (45 ml) dry sherry (use Manzanilla, Fino, Palo Cortado, or dry Oloroso) • 11/2 oz (45 ml) sweet vermouth • 2 dashes orange bitters • Garnish: orange peel Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until well chilled. Strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Express the orange peel, skin side down, into the glass, then garnish with the peel twist. 1884/85 NEW YORK CIT Y, USA JOSEPH F. MCKONE HOFFMAN HOUSE SHERRY NICK & NOR A 48 One of the top signature cocktails associated with the city of New Orleans, Louisiana is undoubtedly the Ramos Gin Fizz. People love to sip this aromatic, pillowy delight as much as busy bartenders hate having to make it. The cocktail is named for Henry Charles Ramos, head bartender of Pat Moran’s Imperial Cabinet Saloon from 1887 until Prohibition. Although he may not be the creator of the ingredients part of the recipe, what he can take credit for, according to The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, is the precise and rather strenuous technique of preparing what is essentially a combination of two other popular cocktails of that era—the Silver Fizz (aka New Orleans Fizz) and the Cream Lemonade—shaking the daylights out of it for several minutes (Ramos reportedly shook for 12 minutes), then adding club soda. The result should form a billowy cloud of egg white foam over a creamy, fizzy sour with a subtle florescence from the orange blossom water. These days, certain bartenders around town, such as Chris McMillian at Revel, pride them- selves on shaking Ramos Gin Fizzes from scratch (he even uses a timer). Other venues, such as Court of Two Sisters, use a special dedicated soda jerk gadget (think boozy egg cream) to prep theirs. A Tales of the Cocktail convention event in the mid-2010s even showcased groups of bartenders taking turns shaking them relay style, a popular method back in the early 1900s when some bars hired “shaker boys” for the task. Below is a tried-and-true recipe for making a Ramos Gin Fizz. A yummy treat is the reward for a vigorous upper body workout. RAMOS GIN FIZZ • 1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice • 1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice • ¹/³ oz (10 g) powdered (icing) sugar • 11/2 oz (45 ml) dry or Old Tom-style gin (the latter would have been used in the early 1900s) • 1/2 oz (15 ml) egg white • 3 or 4 drops orange blossom water • 1 oz (30 ml) heavy (double) cream • 1 oz (30 ml) soda water, chilled Add all ingredients except the cream and soda water to a shaker filled with ice pellets and shake for a good 15 seconds. Add the cream and shake again for at least 30 seconds, longer for a bigger head of foam. Strain into a chilled highball glass over the soda water and watch the froth work its magic. 1888 NEW ORLEANS, USA HENRY CHARLES R AMOS IMPERIAL CABINET SALOON GIN HIGHBALL 48 One of the top signature cocktails associated with the city of New Orleans, Louisiana is undoubtedly the Ramos Gin Fizz. People love to sip this aromatic, pillowy delight as much as busy bartenders hate having to make it. The cocktail is named for Henry Charles Ramos, head bartender of Pat Moran’s Imperial Cabinet Saloon from 1887 until Prohibition. Although he may not be the creator of the ingredients part of the recipe, what he can take credit for, according to The Oxford Companion to Spirits & Cocktails, is the precise and rather strenuous technique of preparing what is essentially a combination of two other popular cocktails of that era—the Silver Fizz (aka New Orleans Fizz) and the Cream Lemonade—shaking the daylights out of it for several minutes (Ramos reportedly shook for 12 minutes), then adding club soda. The result should form a billowy cloud of egg white foam over a creamy, fizzy sour with a subtle florescence from the orange blossom water. These days, certain bartenders around town, such as Chris McMillian at Revel, pride them- selves on shaking Ramos Gin Fizzes from scratch (he even uses a timer). Other venues, such as Court of Two Sisters, use a special dedicated soda jerk gadget (think boozy egg cream) to prep theirs. A Tales of the Cocktail convention event in the mid-2010s even showcased groups of bartenders taking turns shaking them relay style, a popular method back in the early 1900s when some bars hired “shaker boys” for the task. Below is a tried-and-true recipe for making a Ramos Gin Fizz. A yummy treat is the reward for a vigorous upper body workout. RAMOS GIN FIZZ • 1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice • 1/2 oz (15 ml) fresh lime juice • ¹/³ oz (10 g) powdered (icing) sugar • 11/2 oz (45 ml) dry or Old Tom-style gin (the latter would have been used in the early 1900s) • 1/2 oz (15 ml) egg white • 3 or 4 drops orange blossom water • 1 oz (30 ml) heavy (double) cream • 1 oz (30 ml) soda water, chilled Add all ingredients except the cream and soda water to a shaker filled with ice pellets and shake for a good 15 seconds. Add the cream and shake again for at least 30 seconds, longer for a bigger head of foam. Strain into a chilled highball glass over the soda water and watch the froth work its magic. 1888 NEW ORLEANS, USA HENRY CHARLES R AMOS IMPERIAL CABINET SALOON GIN HIGHBALL Next >