Cracked Ice

I've posted at least one recipe that calls for this ingredient, so here's how to crack ice: obtain this spring steel tool (underside, topside) and a clean cloth bag. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I found the tool. I do remember that the liquor store in Mountain Park had a pretty good selection of bar tools. You can try Kobos or Kitchen Kaboodle, but this is really one of those things you're more likely to see in a liquor store. You may have to do some calling around if you want to visit a store. Or you can simply order one online. Drop the ice in the bag and twist it shut so the ice is tightly wrapped. Then tap the ice with the tool. Hold the handle loosely so that the head snaps down on the bag. Dump the cracked ice into your tumbler and pour the ingredients over it. If you can't find the tool or don't want to locate one, a wooden spoon would probably serve.

Clover Leaf Cocktail

1/3 Grenadine, 2/3 Gin, White of 1 Egg, Juice of 1/2 Lime. Shake well in cracked ice and strain, putting a mint leaf on top.

I mixed this with real grenadine (hereafter used to distinguish pomegranate-flavored grenadine syrups from the mysterious red glop that Rose's markets). The result was very agreeable, with a classy pale violet color and white foam on top. The flavor was good but quite sweet, and moderated by the egg white.




This drink is practically identical to the Clover Club, which I mixed with Rose's. The results are dramatically different.

Clover Club Cocktail

1/3 Grenadine, 2/3 Gin, White of 1 Egg, Juice of 1/2 Lime. Shake well with cracked ice, strain and serve.

Made with Rose's Grenadine, it looks disgusting, with an artificial red color topped by a pink foam, and the taste confirms what your eyes tell you. Made with real grenadine, the taste would be pleasant if you like sweet drinks with lots of fragrance and you're not put off by egg whites. The Clover Leaf I made with real grenadine was a very handsome drink, classy in an old-fashioned way and something I'd be proud to serve to a guest.

Grenadine Syrup

Grenadine: supposedly, historically, ostensibly, pomegranate syrup, from the French word for pomegranate, a reference to its resemblance to a grenade or bomb. In reality, a disgusting bright-red syrup marketed under the Rose's label that is used to make Roy Rogers and Shirley Temples and wreck otherwise perfectly reputable drinks like Zombies and Tequila Sunrises.

Do not buy this evil syrup. Just buy pomegranate juice in concentrate, combine it with sugar and a little lime juice over gentle heat, and bottle it. This was the recipe I used: 1 c. pomegranate juice (pure, from concentrate), 1/4 c. white refined sugar, 1 tsp. lime juice. It is very tasty, tart and sweet at the same time with a beautiful deep ruby color. The Clover Leaf Cocktail I made with it was startlingly pleasant, in contrast to the Clover Club (same drink, without the sprig of mint) made with Rose's, which tasted like Robitussin and gin.

Malta

I stumbled on this drink while I was reading the Wikipedia article on malt. It is a soft drink made by brewing malt as for beer, but without fermentation. The drink is then sweetened. It is popular in the Caribbean region. The Wikipedia article refers to the practice of mixing it with condensed or evaporated milk. I have not sampled this version. It is very good cold, either chilled or over ice. Dashen Groceries on NE Glisan carries the Hatuey brand; they're the only place yet of four I've visited that carries the drink.

Its flavor has been compared to molasses; it may also be described as the flavor of Ovaltine malt in soda form.

Picon Cocktail

1/2 Amer Picon, 1/2 French Vermouth

I used Torani Amer (in Cocktail DB). It is a very syrupy drink and just not my style for a cocktail base. I can't imagine Amer Picon is that much different.

Martini (Sweet)

2/3 Tom Gin, 1/3 Italian Vermouth, 2 dashes Gum Syrup, 1 dash Orange Bitters. Stir well with ice, strain and serve with a cherry.

Celeste made a cocktail very similar to the above recipe (pictured) and called it a Union League. But we both think, without verifying on the Cocktail DB, that that cocktail is made with port. The cocktail she made contained 2/3 Tom Gin, 1/3 Italian Vermouth, a splash Blood Orange Bitters and an orange slice. It is very good and sweet but not heavy.

Breakfast Cocktail

1/3 Grenadine, 2/3 Dry Gin, White of 1 Egg. Shake well in ice and strain.

Looks and tastes like gin and Pepto-Bismol. I used Rose's Grenadine; perhaps a home-made Grenadine of pomegranate juice and syrup would improve the killing sweetness.

The gin was Hendrick's. Also, I beat the egg white before transferring it to the tumbler. If you shake the ingredients without beating the white first, a very unappetizing string of egg white remains in the drink. To separate the white, just crack an egg and tip the yolk back and forth between the two shell halves. Let the white fall into a bowl.

Lone Tree Cocktail

1/3 Italian Vermouth, 1/3 French Vermouth, 1/3 Dry Gin, 2 Dashes Orange Bitters. Stir well with cracked ice and strain. Add a cherry. Similar to Cooperstown Cocktail. Light and sweet with plenty of aroma, also a good-looking drink.

Gazette Cocktail

1 Teaspoonful syrup, 1 Teaspoonful Lemon Juice, 1/2 Italian Vermouth, 1/2 Brandy. Stir well in ice and strain into glass.

Not particularly interesting but drinkable. A bit more lemon juice may improve it. Celeste called it "boozy".

Corpse Reviver No. 1 Cocktail

1/4 Italian Vermouth, 1/4 Apple Brandy or Calvados, 1/2 Brandy. Stir well in ice and strain into glass.

Don't drink too many or the process is reversed. They are good.

Old Etonian Cocktail

2 dashes Orange Bitters, 2 dashes Crème de Noyau, 1/2 London Gin, 1/2 Kina Lillet. Stir well in ice and strain. Squeeze Orange Peel on top.

Made exactly as the Fairbanks No. 2 Cocktail, except with Lillet instead of dry vermouth. Celeste preferred it to the Fairbanks.

Fairbanks No. 2 Cocktail

2 dashes Crème de Noyau, 2 dashes Orange Bitters, 1/3 French Vermouth, 2/3 Dry Gin. Stir well in ice and strain. Add a cherry.

The cousin of the Old Etonian Cocktail, with French Vermouth instead of Lillet. I did not taste this one, but Celeste did. She preferred the Old Etonian and the sweeter taste of the Lillet.

Bushwhacker

We've been customers at Bushwhacker since their opening night. Aside from the fact that they're the only cidery around, their prices are reasonable, they're knowledgeable and they pour an honest pint. Just recently they offered their own cider and will again soon. Visit their website to join their mailing list. (Be patient, the page takes a while to load). Or better yet, just visit the pub and try a taster. See also my post on a neighborhood walking loop that includes the pub.

View SE Walks in a larger map

Excellent French Cider

Available at Bushwhacker: a light, very tasty French cider and a steal at around $7 per bottle. Please stop in and have them open a bottle. While you're there, try some of their ciders on tap.

Frank Sullivan Cocktail

Perfect for those of you trying to avoid responsibilities, sex, whatever.

1/4 lemon juice

1/4 Kina Lillet

1/4 Cointreau

1/4 Brandy

Shake well over ice and strain into glass.

It is very good.

Glass

Sometimes you run across outmoded ingredients in drink recipes; sometimes the units of measurement themselves are outmoded or obscure. Case in point: the designation "glass" in the Cablegram post. In this case I think it's safe to assume that Duffy means a glass used to serve whiskey, or a shot glass; a shot glass could hold 1, 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 ounces (the 1 1/2 ounce glass is also called a "jigger"). Legally, a "shot" is one ounce. I sometimes interpret "glass" as one ounce in this context, if 1 1/2 ounces seems like too much. Taste should be the guide in interpreting any drink recipe.

"Drink" is another indefinite amount that appears in many old recipes. Since it's used mainly with spirits, I apply the "glass" rule: the actual amount is in the neighborhood of 1 1/2 to 1 ounce, depending on preference.

I've used this online dictionary of measurement units before. Its scope is broad, so you may not find a lot that refers to bartending specifically, but it has helped me in the past.

Cablegram

Juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 tbsp. powdered sugar, 1 glass rye whiskey. Stir well in ice, strain and fill with ginger ale. One of my favorites and a good standby. As Johnny Twennies said when his jaded photographer asked him if he even had cable tv service: "Sure, I get cables all the time!"

London Cocktail

2 Dashes Orange Bitters, 2 Dashes Syrup, 2 Dashes Maraschino, 2/3 Dry Gin. Stir well in ice and strain. Twist of Lemon Peel. Powerful and highly aromatic, lots of sweetness in the nose. Nice clean look.

Kup's Indispensable Cocktail

1 Dash Angostura Bitters, 1/8 Italian Vermouth, 1/4 French Vermouth, 5/8 Dry Gin. Stir well in ice and strain. Squeeze Orange Peel on top. Cousin to Journalist Cocktail. Powerful and complicated with a smooth transition between flavors.

Jupiter Cocktail

1 Teaspoonful Orange Juice, 1 Teaspoonful Parfait Amour Liqueur, 1/3 French Vermouth, 2/3 Dry Gin. Stir well in ice and strain. Twist of Lemon Peel. A bit two-dimensional, with first sip overpowered by gin and lower levels dominated by raw sweetness of Parfait Amour, like a predictable twist ending. Could be improved by slightly more orange juice to add depth.

Journalist Cocktail

2 Dashes Lemon Juice, 2 Dashes Curaçao, 1 Dash Angostura Bitters, 1/6 French Vermouth, 1/6 Italian Vermouth, 2/3 Dry Gin. Stir well in ice and strain. Powerful but complex, lots going on in sharp citrus of bitters and mellow citrus of vermouth. Thumbs up.

Jack Withers Cocktail

Juice of 1/2 Orange, 1/3 French Vermouth, 1/3 Italian Vermouth, 1/3 Dry Gin. Stir well in ice and strain. Rich, sweet drink, similar to Satan's Whiskers but not as heavy.

Jack Pine Cocktail

Juice of 1/2 Orange, 1 Slice Pineapple, 3/4 Dry Gin, 1/4 French Vermouth. Shake well in ice and strain. Powerful. I transferred the fruit to the serving glass to soften the taste of the gin and the acid of the orange. Tasty with sweet fundament in pineapple.

Ink Street Cocktail

1/2 Rye Whiskey, 1/4 Orange Juice, 1/4 Lemon Juice. Shake well and strain. Tart verging on sour. Use sweet oranges.

Imperial Cocktail

1/2 French Vermouth, 1/2 Gin, 1 Dash Angostura Bitters, 1 Dash Maraschino. Stir well with cracked ice, strain and serve with an Olive. Barely distinguishable from a dry martini but for whiff of maraschino.

Hawaiian Cocktail

4 Parts Gin, 2 Parts Orange Juice, 1 Part Curaçao (or any other of the Orange Liqueurs). Shake well and strain. (I used Cointreau for Orange Liqueur). Rich orange flavor masked a bit by gin, still a pleasant drink.

Cooperstown Cocktail

1/3 Gin, 1/3 French Vermouth, 1/3 Italian Vermouth, 1 Sprig of Fresh Mint. Stir well with cracked ice and strain. Add a Cherry. Nice clean flavor, warmth of Italian Vermouth punched up by mint. Attractive.

Commodore Cocktail

1 Teaspoonful Syrup, 2 Dashes Orange Bitters, Juice of 1/2 Lime or 1/4 Lemon, 1 Glass Rye Whiskey. Shake well and strain into glass. Tart, light.

Bronx Cocktail

1/2 Dry Gin, 1/4 French Vermouth, 1/4 Italian Vermouth, Juice of 1/4 Orange. Shake well with cracked ice and strain. Nice orangey flavor, fairly heavy.

Manhasset

1 1/2 oz. whiskey, 1/4 oz. sweet vermouth, 1/4 oz. dry vermouth, 1 oz. lemon juice. Shake and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. (The Bartender's Black Book by Stephen Kittredge Cunningham)

Celeste liked it, I didn't. It tasted like lemon juice spiked with whiskey.

Manhattan (Dry)

2/3 Whiskey, 1/3 Italian Vermouth, 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Stir well with cracked ice, strain and serve with an Olive and a twist of lemon peel on top. (Official Mixer's Manual p. 119)

Celeste made this with rye; I prefer it to bourbon for its lighter flavor.

We drank them and I thought about Gerry Rafferty who had just died. I was sad because I'd only recently acquainted myself with his album City to City and it had been steadily growing on me. The track Baker Street was a fixture of my childhood, ever-present as it was on local radio. So long Gerry; the world is diminished.

Diabolo Cocktail

Diabolo Cocktail: 2/3 Dubonnet, 1/3 gin, 2 dashes Orgeat Syrup. Stir well in ice and strain into glass. (Official Mixer's Manual p. 193). I didn't care for this one. I added a bit too much Orgeat and it made the drink too sweet. Aside from that, I didn't like the way the gin and Dubonnet mixed. A bit less Orgeat would have made it more drinkable.

Face the Music and Dance

I've been knocking out my brains trying to think of a way to share Messrs. Duffy and Craddock's cocktail recipes and have hit on this expedient as the least painful.

I found a little book called the Official Mixer's Manual in one of Portland's many second-hand shops. It had no jacket and and an unassuming cloth binding. The print and paper quality was low; I'd never heard of the publisher. It looked like the kind of thing a book club would send you. But hidden inside was a store of knowledge from a gone time.

Patrick Gavin Duffy waited on some of the great personages of the late 19th and early 20th century: Oscar Wilde, William Jennings Bryan, Cecil B. DeMille. He believed the bartender should wear a jacket with a flower in his lapel and serve the customer's drink rapidly and with a minimum of conversation. He disdained the label "professor" or "mixologist" for bartenders, calling them "nonsense". He was that species of quiet tradesman whose sense of professional pride and tradition were mixed in an ideal proportion.

I took all this in at a glance, then read the following words: "With very few exceptions, cocktails should be stirred and not shaken. A stirred cocktail is clear and fresh and retains its vitality. A shaken cocktail is muddy in appearance and has had so much ice diluted into it that it is a very insipid affair."

Enter The Savoy Cocktail Book, by the justly famous Harry Craddock, late of the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London. When Alex and I were living off SE 37th and Franklin this was our guide in things cocktail. It fairly screamed homburgs, slicked-back hair and martini pitchers. There is no arguing with the guide's influence, authenticity and value as a document.

Imagine my dismay, then, when I noticed that practically every recipe calls for a shaken cocktail! Not only that, but Mr. Craddock pleads with us to "Shake the shaker as hard as you can: don't just rock it: you are trying to wake it up, not send it to sleep!"

What the devil am I supposed to do now? As I write it becomes clear: listen to the words of the immortal Cole Porter: "Life's too mysterious, don't take it serious." Then mix in a dash of common sense. I think Mr. Duffy's advice is good, what he says makes sense. So I would follow it. On the other hand, if you shake a drink as Mr. Craddock advised, and you like it, then tant mieux.

I am not a "foodie". I hate that term. I am not even an expert. I am interested in the history that these recipes represent and I detect a sour note in our national music these days, a lack of swing. This makes me very sad. We are Americans, we must swing. Sometime, we must swing. This is not to say all must be swing, no, no. But you must be able to hear that jazz.

This also means somewhere, somehow, someone must be able to laugh and have a drink at the same time.

If you can find a copy of The Official Mixer's Manual by Patrick Gavin Duffy, Alta Publications 1934, and The Savoy Cocktail Book by Harry Craddock, Constable & Co. 1930 (newer editions exist; Pavilion published an edition of TSCB in 1999), buy them. I've seen both titles on Amazon moderately- to modestly-priced.

Also, bookmark the Cocktail DB, a comprehensive resource for anyone researching these cocktails. The publishers have provided not only detailed descriptions of drink ingredients, but photo galleries of past and present examples in the bottle; pretty important when you're looking for something in the liquor store. Not only that, but some of the labels display really beautiful graphic design. They have also published their bibliography, an impressive list of cocktail guides past and present, starting in 1755 (!). It's available as a PDF.

You might also find the Oregon Liquor Control Commission's liquor search useful. It's a database of available drinks and the stores that carry them. Not every liquor store participates in the program, so it's not comprehensive, but it's a good place to start if you're looking for one particular ingredient.