Do you like cocktails that are named after a 19th century varnish? Then step right up to the bar and order a Japalac Cocktail. That’s right folks, nothing says quenching your thirst like old lacquer! This recipe shows up first and only in Albert Stevens Crockett’s Old Waldorf Bar Days (1931). It was another creation […]
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Episode 5: Margarita – Commentary
This episode was an important turning point in the show. Remember, Jay and I had already produced many episodes together in the 50s and 60s episodes, Mick had joined us relatively recently and we had a formula that was working pretty well. I liked our production; I liked the show. So in this episode Jay […]
Episode 78: Getting Rubbed Out – Jack...
The Jack Rose Cocktail ingredients look like a deconstructed fruit bowl, bringing together Applejack, lemon juice (or sometimes lime juice), and grenadine. Dating back to the early 20th century, Cocktail Bill Boothby appears to have brought it to print, but attributes it to New York bartender R.H. Townes. The name is a bit of a […]
Episode 4: Sidecar – Commentary
First off I need to apologize again for the background music in the front portion of the episode. Bad idea. And I can’t get rid of it without reproducing the episode…and who’s got time for that? The Sidecar is another cocktail that spun out of WWI veterans in Europe and the rise of Prohibition in […]
Episode 76: Tying the Knot – Honeymoo...
The Honeymoon Cocktail seems to first appear in Hugo Ensslin’s Recipes for Mixed Drinks (1917), and contains an unusually sweet and fruit-based combination of ingredients, calling for Apple Brandy, lemon juice, curacao, and Benedictine. We take a look at what Benedictine is and how the Honeymoon Cocktail encountered a swapping out of the Apple Brandy […]