Vintage Cocktails to Toast the End of Summer
PHOTO: SNAPWIRE
RAISE YOUR GLASS + GIVE THE SUMMER A PROPER SEND-OFF!
Summer’s end is fast approaching - it’s a matter of opinion whether those are good tidings or bad… There are a few more hot days to weather however, so here are a few refreshing concoctions you can whip up in no time. They are made specifically for sipping on a warm evening while listening to your favorite selection of early 1900s music. (We recommend one of the greats...Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, or Jelly Roll Morton)
To begin: A very condensed history of what we know today as the cocktail. There are several different legends as to the origin of both the word, and the drink itself; for a while, it was believed that the word originated in New Orleans’ French quarter around 1830, where an apothecary named Antoine Peychaud sold homemade bitters. When he mixed the bitters with sugar, cognac, and water, he discovered a delightful little potion known now as the Sazerac. Customers called this a “coquetel”, which is what the drinks were served in, and the story goes that it eventually morphed into the modern “cocktail.”
PHOTO: JOHANN TRASCH
However, the true first use of the word cocktail in the context of drinks, (oh yes, there were other uses for the word before then), was in a newspaper from 1806. The Balance and Columbian Repository defines a cocktail as “a stimulating liquor” containing “sugar, water and bitters, vulgarly called a bittered sling.” A sling was the cocktail’s almost identical predecessor, sans bitters.Well, they were spot on, although nowadays anything mixed together in a fancy glass is commonly regarded as a cocktail, (and who are we to object?)
The idea of mixed cocktails was taken to another level in the middle of the 19th century, when Jerry Thomas, being inspired by punch in his travels to England, created The Bar-tender’s Guide, wherein one finds recipes for various Flips, Fizzes, and Fixes, among many other selections. With the publication of that book, the popularity of the cocktail exploded.
ALRIGHT, ENOUGH OF THE PAST, HERE ARE A FEW DRINKS YOU CAN MAKE RIGHT NOW -
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY!
Lime GIN FIZZ
PHOTO: DMITRY DREYER
George J. Kappeler’s Modern American Drinks (1906) contains over 200 cocktails that are sure to refresh after a long, hot summer’s day.
For a citrus shock, why not try a Lime Gin Fizz:
“A mixing glass half full fine ice, the juice of half a lime, half a tablespoonful fine sugar, one jigger gin; shake well, strain into fizz-glass, fill with siphon seltzer*. Serve.”
*Any plain soda water will do
MANHATTAN
PHOTO: DREW BEAMER
Perhaps you’d like to enjoy a classic Manhattan. The original recipe comes from O. H. Byron’s Modern Bartender’s Guide (1884), but we have used the more streamlined version from the PDT Cocktail Book:
2 oz. Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey
1 oz. Martini Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with three brandied cherries on a pick
FRENCH 75
PHOTO: ALEXA SOH
If you desire a cocktail that’s slightly more modern (emphasis on slightly - the recipe dates back to 1927), try a French 75:
1 oz. Tanqueray Gin
.5 oz Lemon Juice
.5 oz Simple Syrup
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe, top with an ounce of Champagne, garnish with a lemon twist.
Looking for a refreshing, non-alcoholic alternative?
PHOTO: ALISON MARRAS
Try a popsicle!
Easy to make, easier to eat, popsicles as we know them were actually made on accident by a young boy in 1905. Popsicles are perfect for overheated humans of all ages, and can be made with ingredients already in the house.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO BID A FOND FAREWELL TO THE WARM SEASON?
LET US KNOW BELOW!
