I started planning these posts about vermouth back in June, thinking I'd write them in August. By the end of July I realised I hadn't, and wasn't going to be able to try nearly as many vermouth's as I'd like to give a proper overview. I still haven't. I've not said anything about rosé styles, still not tried an amber vermouth, know hardly anything about the sweeter bianco vermouths, and so on (and on, and on...)
Despite all those gaps and deficiencies I have managed to learn quite a bit, and certainly have a much deeper appreciation for the category. I had always thought of vermouth as being a support act to the main spirit in a cocktail - now I'm behind for to think of the spirit as the straight man to the star act of the vermouth. I've also rediscovered the pleasure of drinking Vermouth on its own or mixed with soda/tonic/ginger.
It's a drink worth getting enthusiastic about, a civilised, modestly alcoholic, sophisticated thing that is endlessly versatile. There is undoubtedly a style for everybody who would care to raise a glass. With all of that in mind the best way to wind up this series for now seems to be a short bibliography of good books to have to hand if you want to explore further.
Jack Adair Bevan's 'A Spirited Guide to Vermouth' (published by Headline, rrp £16.99 in hardback) was my starting point. It still vaguely frustrates me that this book doesn't have an index but in every other respect it's excellent. There's a lot of information about history, culture, ingredients, styles, how to make it, how to drink it, cocktail recipes, food recipes, a much longer bibliography for the interested, and more. It's also an enjoyable book to read
Kate Hawkings 'Aperitif' is on my wish list. I keep going to look at it in bookshops with a wistful expression and the knowledge that impending redundancy means I need to be sensible about what I buy. It has pictures, which Bevan's book doesn't, some brilliant looking cocktail recipes, and also looks interesting to read.
Kay Plunkett-Hogge's 'Aperitivo' touches on Vermouth in passing, her concern here is more La Dolce Vita, but it's a brilliant book full of things you might want to nibble. Perfect for planning elegant cocktail parties, and best of all full of Kay's writing which is not to be missed.
The Savoy Cocktail Book is a classic, and I'm very attached to my copy. I refer to it a lot - it's not that it's drinks are always the best or most reliable - there are some deservedly forgotten things in there, but you will always find something excellent. There's also no better place to learn about the importance of proportions or find inspiration.
'Sip' from Sipsmith is one for gin fans, 100 gin cocktails with only 3 ingredients, it keeps things relatively simple. My conviction is that the drinks you make at home should be both high quality and simple so this is exactly my kind of thing. Its good on both the classics, and more obscure cocktails, all calibrated for the contemporary palate (which the Savoy book is not).
Ambrose Heath's 'Good Drinks' from 1939 reprinted by Faber & Faber, is split between hard drinks and soft drinks, which is why it's useful to have as well as the Savoy book - also because Ambrose Heath is a delight to read. I bought it more to read than use because of how much I've enjoyed some of his food titles (Persephone have published a couple, as well as Faber & Faber) but unlike the cook books I've found I use it a lot.
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Friday, September 27, 2019
A Lab of One's Own with a Brandy Vermouth Cocktail
Patricia Fara's 'A Lab of One's Own - Science and Suffrage in the First World War' came out in paperback last month and I have a review copy waiting to be read. It's part of a small pile of books I'm really excited about, but am also sort of saving for when redundancy and Brexit hit (that's going to be quite a week).
I'm particularly interested in 'A Lab of One's Own' because it's rescuing women's history which is all to often forgotten. It's a curious thing the way this happens, an odd conspiracy of silence that makes it seem as if each generation of women is starting from scratch rather than being part of a rich tradition of significant work in field after field of study and talent.
I'm not going to make any great claims for cocktail mixing in this context - though I do believe that's it's more science than art. I can say that this Brandy Vermouth mix fits the bill as a very old cocktail, so was probably well known in the era. Brandy has a more scholarly, or perhaps old school tie, feel to it than gin does as well. In the early 1900's Brandy was a gentlemans drink, whisky rather less so, and gin might have been popular, but perhaps not entirely respectable.
After yesterday's Brandy and Vermouth mix I was looking for something with less frills about it. This fits the bill, and for me is the better drink, it feels more serious too (that's down to the absence of the cherry on top). It's 3 parts Brandy, 1 part Italian Vermouth, and a dash of Angostura bitters stirred over ice and stained into a glass.
The result is a mellow, amber coloured, delight. The dry nutmegy kind of spice of the Brandy sets the tone of the drink with the vermouth (I'm still using the Dopo Teatro) adding a richer spice range (something more like cloves) along with a touch of sweetness - but only enough to smooth out the edges. its to Kate in a Friday night for me to properly work out what the bitters are doing, but I'd miss them if they weren't there.
This is another excellent autumn/winter drink - there's something of a Christmas spice mix about it - clove, nutmeg, allspice, perhaps a hint of cinnamon. The impression is of warmth even though it's icy cold and the very small (I used a dessert spoon for a measure) one I made tonight was suitably comforting.
I'm particularly interested in 'A Lab of One's Own' because it's rescuing women's history which is all to often forgotten. It's a curious thing the way this happens, an odd conspiracy of silence that makes it seem as if each generation of women is starting from scratch rather than being part of a rich tradition of significant work in field after field of study and talent.
I'm not going to make any great claims for cocktail mixing in this context - though I do believe that's it's more science than art. I can say that this Brandy Vermouth mix fits the bill as a very old cocktail, so was probably well known in the era. Brandy has a more scholarly, or perhaps old school tie, feel to it than gin does as well. In the early 1900's Brandy was a gentlemans drink, whisky rather less so, and gin might have been popular, but perhaps not entirely respectable.
After yesterday's Brandy and Vermouth mix I was looking for something with less frills about it. This fits the bill, and for me is the better drink, it feels more serious too (that's down to the absence of the cherry on top). It's 3 parts Brandy, 1 part Italian Vermouth, and a dash of Angostura bitters stirred over ice and stained into a glass.
The result is a mellow, amber coloured, delight. The dry nutmegy kind of spice of the Brandy sets the tone of the drink with the vermouth (I'm still using the Dopo Teatro) adding a richer spice range (something more like cloves) along with a touch of sweetness - but only enough to smooth out the edges. its to Kate in a Friday night for me to properly work out what the bitters are doing, but I'd miss them if they weren't there.
This is another excellent autumn/winter drink - there's something of a Christmas spice mix about it - clove, nutmeg, allspice, perhaps a hint of cinnamon. The impression is of warmth even though it's icy cold and the very small (I used a dessert spoon for a measure) one I made tonight was suitably comforting.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
A Fugue in Time with the Queen Elizabeth cocktail
Rumer Godden has a way of writing about houses and their accumulated history that I find irresistible. The narrative of ‘A Fugue in Time’ skips across almost a century of memories held together by one London townhouse and the people who have lived, and will live, in it.
Family relationships are complicated, people love, are disappointed in each other, and make mistakes. Maybe non more so than Selina who's competence and intelligence is wasted by the constraints placed on her by class, society, and herself. It’s the details Godden uses that fix this book in my mind, and one them is a passage about a cocktail set that an ageing Selina buys to keep up with fashion.
Every time you see something that looks a little like Godden’s description of Selina’s shaker and glasses set I'm reminded of the book, and wonder what she would have drunk from it. My instinct is generally to go for gin based cocktails because I like gin and always have some open. I like whisky too, but it tends to be single malt, which isn’t always what I want yo mix with other things. Brandy is not spirit of choice so I tend to forget about it unless I'm making an effort.
Today I have made that effort because it's slightly masculine and aristocratic overtones (it smells like a good cologne to me) seem right for Selina, and because the mellow spiciness of a red vermouth seem just right for Brandy.
The cocktail I found was one of a couple called The Queen Elizabeth (I assume as an homage to the late Queen Mother). She is most associated with gin and Dubonnet (technically not a vermouth, but definitely a close cousin). Dubonnet sales really went up after she died, and it's steadily regained popularity in these parts ever since (odd, but there you go).
This Queen Elizabeth is from the Savoy Cocktail Book (one of two very different drinks that go by the same name) and is equal parts Brandy and Italian Vermouth, and a dash of Curaçao stirred over ice, strained into a glass and topped with a cherry.
The Vermouth and Brandy do work well together, so much so that when it's not a school night I'll try this again without the other bits in it. As it stands both Curaçao and cherry add a sweetness that masks the kick from the spirits - which also seems appropriate for both the late QM, and the character of Selina. It's also very good autumn/winter cocktail, a time when brown drinks come into their own.
Family relationships are complicated, people love, are disappointed in each other, and make mistakes. Maybe non more so than Selina who's competence and intelligence is wasted by the constraints placed on her by class, society, and herself. It’s the details Godden uses that fix this book in my mind, and one them is a passage about a cocktail set that an ageing Selina buys to keep up with fashion.
Every time you see something that looks a little like Godden’s description of Selina’s shaker and glasses set I'm reminded of the book, and wonder what she would have drunk from it. My instinct is generally to go for gin based cocktails because I like gin and always have some open. I like whisky too, but it tends to be single malt, which isn’t always what I want yo mix with other things. Brandy is not spirit of choice so I tend to forget about it unless I'm making an effort.
Today I have made that effort because it's slightly masculine and aristocratic overtones (it smells like a good cologne to me) seem right for Selina, and because the mellow spiciness of a red vermouth seem just right for Brandy.
The cocktail I found was one of a couple called The Queen Elizabeth (I assume as an homage to the late Queen Mother). She is most associated with gin and Dubonnet (technically not a vermouth, but definitely a close cousin). Dubonnet sales really went up after she died, and it's steadily regained popularity in these parts ever since (odd, but there you go).
This Queen Elizabeth is from the Savoy Cocktail Book (one of two very different drinks that go by the same name) and is equal parts Brandy and Italian Vermouth, and a dash of Curaçao stirred over ice, strained into a glass and topped with a cherry.
The Vermouth and Brandy do work well together, so much so that when it's not a school night I'll try this again without the other bits in it. As it stands both Curaçao and cherry add a sweetness that masks the kick from the spirits - which also seems appropriate for both the late QM, and the character of Selina. It's also very good autumn/winter cocktail, a time when brown drinks come into their own.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
The Diary of a Provincial Lady with an Orange Martini
This Orange Martini comes from the Sipsmith 'Sip' book, and is a slightly simplified version of the Savoy Cocktail guide drink from the 1930's. 'Sip' scales it down to an individual serving (handy) and does away with the rinse of orange bitters in the glass to keep the ingredients down to 3 (which is arguably cheating because the orange peel garnish is key here, but it's delicious so I don't mind).
Maybe because the taste of vermouth is how I imagine the taste of the interwar years I keep finding myself drawn to my Virago collection for inspiration and I could well imagine the a Provincial Lady drinking something like this at a party - either one of her own, or at something she's found herself at.
It is definitely a party kind of drink because it involves a little bit of preparation - which is why the Savoy recipe is for 6, and Sip suggests making it by the batch. It would keep in the fridge for up to a month*, or is a good one to make ahead if you have people coming round.
It's not the strongest Martini either, which also makes it a good option for a boozy kick off to a weekend lunch, or a late afternoon drink. The basic recipe is 25ml of London dry gin, 25ml of dry vermouth, 10ml's of sweet vermouth, and the pared peel of quarter of an orange per serving. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass and let them steep for a couple of hours. Add ice, stir, and strain into a coupe glass.
This one is another object lesson in the power of a few small tweaks to comprehensively change the character of a drink. The dry vermouth in this one is the backbone of the thing, the gin gives it a bit more kick, the sweet vermouth rounds out the edges, and the orange provides its USP. It's not the driest Martini, but it's definitely a drier style of cocktail.
Another variation on it if you're short of time is to use an orange gin like the Tanqueray Seville and just add a twist of orange peel as a garnish at the end.
*don't leave the orange peel in it if you're keeping a batch in the fridge, the flavour will be over extracted.
Maybe because the taste of vermouth is how I imagine the taste of the interwar years I keep finding myself drawn to my Virago collection for inspiration and I could well imagine the a Provincial Lady drinking something like this at a party - either one of her own, or at something she's found herself at.
It is definitely a party kind of drink because it involves a little bit of preparation - which is why the Savoy recipe is for 6, and Sip suggests making it by the batch. It would keep in the fridge for up to a month*, or is a good one to make ahead if you have people coming round.
It's not the strongest Martini either, which also makes it a good option for a boozy kick off to a weekend lunch, or a late afternoon drink. The basic recipe is 25ml of London dry gin, 25ml of dry vermouth, 10ml's of sweet vermouth, and the pared peel of quarter of an orange per serving. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass and let them steep for a couple of hours. Add ice, stir, and strain into a coupe glass.
This one is another object lesson in the power of a few small tweaks to comprehensively change the character of a drink. The dry vermouth in this one is the backbone of the thing, the gin gives it a bit more kick, the sweet vermouth rounds out the edges, and the orange provides its USP. It's not the driest Martini, but it's definitely a drier style of cocktail.
Another variation on it if you're short of time is to use an orange gin like the Tanqueray Seville and just add a twist of orange peel as a garnish at the end.
*don't leave the orange peel in it if you're keeping a batch in the fridge, the flavour will be over extracted.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
One Exciting Night with I Capture The Castle
The drinks I remember from Dodie Smith's "I Capture the Castle' are sticky liqueurs illicitly consumed in the village pub, but when I came across the One Exciting Night cocktail in the Savoy book it felt just about right - the sort of drink that Simon might order for Rose knowing that she isn't quite as sophisticated as she'd like to think.
It's basically a Perfect Cocktail (equal parts gin, Italian, and French Vermouth) but with a dash of orange juice added, the edge of the glass frosted in sugar, and a squeeze of lemon peel on top. The Savoy version also specifies Plymouth gin which has an earthier character than London dry.
If there's one thing guaranteed to set up the back of your wine merchant it's an airy declaration along the lines of 'I don't like French wine' (even worse when you spend a good quarter of an hour suggesting options for the French wine hater - who has almost certainly dismissed a couple of Chardonnays out of hand at this point - they say they want a Chablis. At the risk of revealing how pedantic I can be I'm entirely happy with people saying they haven't found a French wine they like...
The difference is an open mind. The Savoy Cocktail Book has taught me a few things, but perhaps the most important is the difference a few small tweaks can make. Strong, dry, drinks are an acquired taste - I didn't much like the first, very dry, Martini I drank, and I still prefer them with a higher ratio of vermouth than is perhaps fashionable. I love a Gin & It for the mellowing effect of spicy sweet red Vermouth on the gin.
One Exciting Night takes that sweetness a step further by sugaring the rim of the glass - which also looks pretty. I'm thinking of it as a beginners Martini, and there's nothing derogatory about that. It's a reminder that drinks should be fun, not an endurance test.
It's basically a Perfect Cocktail (equal parts gin, Italian, and French Vermouth) but with a dash of orange juice added, the edge of the glass frosted in sugar, and a squeeze of lemon peel on top. The Savoy version also specifies Plymouth gin which has an earthier character than London dry.
If there's one thing guaranteed to set up the back of your wine merchant it's an airy declaration along the lines of 'I don't like French wine' (even worse when you spend a good quarter of an hour suggesting options for the French wine hater - who has almost certainly dismissed a couple of Chardonnays out of hand at this point - they say they want a Chablis. At the risk of revealing how pedantic I can be I'm entirely happy with people saying they haven't found a French wine they like...
The difference is an open mind. The Savoy Cocktail Book has taught me a few things, but perhaps the most important is the difference a few small tweaks can make. Strong, dry, drinks are an acquired taste - I didn't much like the first, very dry, Martini I drank, and I still prefer them with a higher ratio of vermouth than is perhaps fashionable. I love a Gin & It for the mellowing effect of spicy sweet red Vermouth on the gin.
One Exciting Night takes that sweetness a step further by sugaring the rim of the glass - which also looks pretty. I'm thinking of it as a beginners Martini, and there's nothing derogatory about that. It's a reminder that drinks should be fun, not an endurance test.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Fair isle designs from Shetland Knitters with Vermouth and Lemonade
As a child of the 70s I have vivid, if slightly confused, memories of the Martini adverts. I also have vivid memories of being given Martini Bianco and lemonade to drink as a teenager in the late 80s. It was sweet, not very appealing even then, and deemed suitable for a woman to drink.
I'm thinking about it now because when I got home my copy of Fair Isle Designs from Shetland Knitters had arrived, and a happy hour reading about the history of the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers, and Dyers bought back a lot of memories of some of those women. The last time I drank Martini and lemonade was in the house of a guild member in 1993, the drinking part of the occasion was out of politeness.
Sweet Martini with Schweppes lemonade is not a drink I can embrace with enthusiasm, or one that I'd particularly recommend (which is no judgement on anybody who does enjoy it, we all have different tastes). Part of my issue with it is also that idea of gendered drinks. Something that used to annoy me a lot in my early days in the wine trade were (male) customers coming in for corporate gifts at Christmas. They'd choose malt whisky for the men and then ask me what I though 'ladies might like'. Speaking confidently for all women I'd say champagne (same price, always useful). They would invariably pull a face and buy something sweet, sticky, and half the price. It was the price thing that bugged me most.
Fortunately that sort of thing happens less and less now, and 'A Spirited Guide to Vermouth' has something called The Vermouth Hour (La Hora Del Vermut) that is an homage both to the Spanish tradition of a pre lunch sip of vermouth and that 70s combination of vermouth and lemonade.
The recipe uses 25ml of London dry gin, 50ml of a sweet Spanish red vermut, and 50ml of Fentimans Victorian Lemonade. Put everything in a large glass and stir over ice cubes. There is some fancy bar work that follows that involves burning the oils in an orange skin above the glass, and then using more orange and an olive to garnish.
This is a great sounding drink which I will try when it's not a wet Monday night and I don't have a cold, but I'm also inclined to ditch the garnishes and try different vermouth's in it. The Fentimans lemonade with its proper lemon sourness, and gin to give the drink a bit of backbone are both excellent ideas, but I'd like to see how this works with a dry white Vermouth, or possibly even a slightly sweeter one.
I'm thinking about it now because when I got home my copy of Fair Isle Designs from Shetland Knitters had arrived, and a happy hour reading about the history of the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Knitters, Weavers, and Dyers bought back a lot of memories of some of those women. The last time I drank Martini and lemonade was in the house of a guild member in 1993, the drinking part of the occasion was out of politeness.
Sweet Martini with Schweppes lemonade is not a drink I can embrace with enthusiasm, or one that I'd particularly recommend (which is no judgement on anybody who does enjoy it, we all have different tastes). Part of my issue with it is also that idea of gendered drinks. Something that used to annoy me a lot in my early days in the wine trade were (male) customers coming in for corporate gifts at Christmas. They'd choose malt whisky for the men and then ask me what I though 'ladies might like'. Speaking confidently for all women I'd say champagne (same price, always useful). They would invariably pull a face and buy something sweet, sticky, and half the price. It was the price thing that bugged me most.
Fortunately that sort of thing happens less and less now, and 'A Spirited Guide to Vermouth' has something called The Vermouth Hour (La Hora Del Vermut) that is an homage both to the Spanish tradition of a pre lunch sip of vermouth and that 70s combination of vermouth and lemonade.
The recipe uses 25ml of London dry gin, 50ml of a sweet Spanish red vermut, and 50ml of Fentimans Victorian Lemonade. Put everything in a large glass and stir over ice cubes. There is some fancy bar work that follows that involves burning the oils in an orange skin above the glass, and then using more orange and an olive to garnish.
This is a great sounding drink which I will try when it's not a wet Monday night and I don't have a cold, but I'm also inclined to ditch the garnishes and try different vermouth's in it. The Fentimans lemonade with its proper lemon sourness, and gin to give the drink a bit of backbone are both excellent ideas, but I'd like to see how this works with a dry white Vermouth, or possibly even a slightly sweeter one.
Sunday, September 22, 2019
No Mother to Guide Her with Parisian Nights
'Sip' continues to prove itself a sound investment; the beauty of only having 3 ingredients per cocktail, one of which is guaranteed to be gin is that if you, like me, keep bitters, Vermouth, and a couple of liqueurs around the house you're soon in business. This is perfect for half past seven on a Sunday night when a modest drink seems like a very good idea.
The drink in question is 'Parisian Nights'. "Created in 1920's Paris for stage and silent screen star Yvonne Arnaud", it seems to be more frequently known as the Arnaud (including in Sipsmith's own website). The recipe itself is equal parts gin, dry vermouth, and crème de cassis - I won't give specific quantities because I generally prefer my drinks smaller than modern recipes suggest they be. Badically make as much, or little, as it takes to strike a balance between sensible and frivolous.
Pour everything into a mixing glass, stir well with ice, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist - or a blackberry if in season and to hand. If you have Crème de mure that would work beautifully too.
The Cassis makes this a fruity crowd pleaser with a definite sweetness to it (you could easily dial back the cassis if you want something drier) but a solid alcoholic punch as well. All of this puts me in mind of Anita Loos and her most famous creation, Lorelei Lee from 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. But Anita Loos was responsible for far more than Lorelei (her career is really interesting, she's well worth looking up).
'No Mother to Guide Her' is another comic masterpiece, this one centred around Hollywood and an actress called Viola Lake. Something like a Parisian Night seems exactly the sort of thing Viola (or Lorelei) would drink. It looks like 'No Mother to Guide Her' is currently out of print, but the Prion humour classics edition is available cheaply online and is absolutely worth reading.
The Cassis makes this a fruity crowd pleaser with a definite sweetness to it (you could easily dial back the cassis if you want something drier) but a solid alcoholic punch as well. All of this puts me in mind of Anita Loos and her most famous creation, Lorelei Lee from 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'. But Anita Loos was responsible for far more than Lorelei (her career is really interesting, she's well worth looking up).
'No Mother to Guide Her' is another comic masterpiece, this one centred around Hollywood and an actress called Viola Lake. Something like a Parisian Night seems exactly the sort of thing Viola (or Lorelei) would drink. It looks like 'No Mother to Guide Her' is currently out of print, but the Prion humour classics edition is available cheaply online and is absolutely worth reading.
Saturday, September 21, 2019
The Squire's Daughter with a 'Sloe Gin'
I must have read F. M. Mayor's 'The Squire's Daughter' and 'The Rector's Daughter' before I started blogging, which is frustrating because whilst I remember how much 'The Squire's Daughter' moved me I don't remember as much as I'd like about the plot. It's also the hardest of the 3 titles that Virago re-printed to get hold of - but I do occasionally see it in charity shops, which is where mine came from. Do not leave it on the shelf if you spot it!
Mayor is a brilliant writer, she got a bit of a boost about a decade ago when (I think) Susan Hill recommended 'The Rector's Daughter' which probably is Mayor's best book. Radio 4 also did it as a book at bedtime, but I think it's sunk back into relative obscurity which is a shame.
I found the recipe for the 'Sloe Gin' in Ambrose Heath's 'Giod Drinks' (another underrated classic). It's 2 parts Sloe gin, 1 part French Vermouth, 1part Italian, mixed well over ice. I've made something like this at work just mixing sloe gin and Italian Vermouth (it also worked well as a long drink with tonic or ginger ale) which went down really well.
Using Sloe gin gives a distinctly country edge to this cousin of the Martini, the vermouth fixes the cough medicine notes that I associate with Sloe gin - it's a drink that's much more than the sum of its parts. It's another one that makes for perfect autumn/winter drinking and would be an interesting party option (I'm willing to bet nobody will have tried it before).
I also think it's the perfect companion for 'The Squire's Daughter', it's the mix of town and country, of Sloe gin getting a Martini makeover, the mix of sweetness, spice, and a hint of something bitter. A drink almost as complex and layered as Mayor's writing.
Mayor is a brilliant writer, she got a bit of a boost about a decade ago when (I think) Susan Hill recommended 'The Rector's Daughter' which probably is Mayor's best book. Radio 4 also did it as a book at bedtime, but I think it's sunk back into relative obscurity which is a shame.
I found the recipe for the 'Sloe Gin' in Ambrose Heath's 'Giod Drinks' (another underrated classic). It's 2 parts Sloe gin, 1 part French Vermouth, 1part Italian, mixed well over ice. I've made something like this at work just mixing sloe gin and Italian Vermouth (it also worked well as a long drink with tonic or ginger ale) which went down really well.
Using Sloe gin gives a distinctly country edge to this cousin of the Martini, the vermouth fixes the cough medicine notes that I associate with Sloe gin - it's a drink that's much more than the sum of its parts. It's another one that makes for perfect autumn/winter drinking and would be an interesting party option (I'm willing to bet nobody will have tried it before).
I also think it's the perfect companion for 'The Squire's Daughter', it's the mix of town and country, of Sloe gin getting a Martini makeover, the mix of sweetness, spice, and a hint of something bitter. A drink almost as complex and layered as Mayor's writing.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Mae West with a Fancy Vermouth Cocktail
Amongst my most treasured Virago Modern Classics are the 3 Mae West books (2 novels and her autobiography), I've also got a box set of her films somewhere, but I hadn't thought about her for a while until Damon Runyon made me remember yesterday.
It's years since I read her books, it's probably time to read them again, and wonder again at just how amazing she was both as a trailblazing woman intent on living on her own terms, and a reminder that out great grandmothers might not have been precisely the way we imagine them. Her wisecracks and one liners are every bit as brilliant as you would expect as well.
To match Mae I wanted a really old fashioned drink; something that would have been familiar in her Bowery hay day. Jerry Thomas was another New York icon, though he predates West by a good few decades his Bartenders Guide (first published in 1862) seemed like the best place to look (I have a Hesperus edition that my sister gave me a few years ago, it's worth getting a copy).
I came up with two options; the Martinez which is a sort of precursor to a Martini, and has enjoyed a bit of a comeback in recent years (its gin, Vermouth, bitters and marischino in Jerry Thomas'version, he uses Old Tom gin which is relatively sweet, and suggests adding extra sugar in the form of gum syrup if it's wanted. By the time you get to the Savoy Cocktail Book the gin is probably dry, and the vermouth is definitely dry). I like a Martinez but thought something without gin would make a change.
The Fancy Vermouth Cocktail sounded perfect. It doesn't give any clues about the vermouth, so I've used the Belsazar summer edition that I have which is definitely at the sweeter end. You take a small wineglass of this (a bar measure, unless you have some proper little Victorian wine glasses - an egg cup would also be about right) and add 2 dashes of bitters and two dashes of marischino. Shake over ice, strain into a coupe glass, garnish with quarter of a lemon.
I was quite tired when I made this, and the lighting in my kitchen is poor. For no good reason I thought the marischino bottle had the same sort of dropper thing in it that the bitters bottle does. Reader, I added a lot more that 2 dashes. Regardless the resulting drink was okay, and I'm looking forward to trying this with different vermouth's (and mess marischino) to find just the right set of balances between sweet and dry.
As it goes I think the drink I ended up with is probably right for the early Mae West mood, when sweeter drinks were more fashionable. Not using gin also means this is a much lower alcohol cocktail which is no bad thing either.
It's years since I read her books, it's probably time to read them again, and wonder again at just how amazing she was both as a trailblazing woman intent on living on her own terms, and a reminder that out great grandmothers might not have been precisely the way we imagine them. Her wisecracks and one liners are every bit as brilliant as you would expect as well.
To match Mae I wanted a really old fashioned drink; something that would have been familiar in her Bowery hay day. Jerry Thomas was another New York icon, though he predates West by a good few decades his Bartenders Guide (first published in 1862) seemed like the best place to look (I have a Hesperus edition that my sister gave me a few years ago, it's worth getting a copy).
I came up with two options; the Martinez which is a sort of precursor to a Martini, and has enjoyed a bit of a comeback in recent years (its gin, Vermouth, bitters and marischino in Jerry Thomas'version, he uses Old Tom gin which is relatively sweet, and suggests adding extra sugar in the form of gum syrup if it's wanted. By the time you get to the Savoy Cocktail Book the gin is probably dry, and the vermouth is definitely dry). I like a Martinez but thought something without gin would make a change.
The Fancy Vermouth Cocktail sounded perfect. It doesn't give any clues about the vermouth, so I've used the Belsazar summer edition that I have which is definitely at the sweeter end. You take a small wineglass of this (a bar measure, unless you have some proper little Victorian wine glasses - an egg cup would also be about right) and add 2 dashes of bitters and two dashes of marischino. Shake over ice, strain into a coupe glass, garnish with quarter of a lemon.
I was quite tired when I made this, and the lighting in my kitchen is poor. For no good reason I thought the marischino bottle had the same sort of dropper thing in it that the bitters bottle does. Reader, I added a lot more that 2 dashes. Regardless the resulting drink was okay, and I'm looking forward to trying this with different vermouth's (and mess marischino) to find just the right set of balances between sweet and dry.
As it goes I think the drink I ended up with is probably right for the early Mae West mood, when sweeter drinks were more fashionable. Not using gin also means this is a much lower alcohol cocktail which is no bad thing either.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
On Broadway with a Bronx cocktail
Looking for John Cheever short stories yesterday, followed by finding John O'Hara in all sorts of places reminded me of how much I enjoyed Damon Runyon's 'On Broadway' (it's up there with Anita Loos' Gentleman Prefer Blondes' and the works of Gypsy Rose Lee and Mae West - all of which want seeking out and reading).
'On Broadway' is a collection of loosely connected short stories full of dudes and dolls, bootleggers and speakeasies. It's funny, surprising, and even after 500+ pages I wanted more. It's definitely a book that makes you want to drink a cocktail, and probably something really authentically prohibition era - a Bees Knees, or a Mary Pickford maybe, definitely something that involves rum would be good...
The Bronx is actually a pre prohibition cocktail, but the orange juice gives it the fruity edge I'm looking for. For a prohibition era feel I'd make it with a sweeter Vermouth (to disguise the roughness of bootleg gin). The basic recipe is equal quantities of fresh orange juice, gin, and vermouth. For a dry Bronx use dry vermouth, or for a 'perfect' Bronx mix a dry and sweet vermouth together. Combine everything in a shaker with lots of ice, shake well, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist if you like.
This is a great drink to play around with vermouth's in - how dry, or sweet, you prefer it might come as a surprise. My instinct after 20 years in the wine trade is to always go dry (there's undoubtedly a bit of snobbery about this, as well as a learnt but genuine appreciation of drier drinks), but I've found with Martini style drinks that I prefer all sorts of things I'd never have expected - like Gin & It's and red Vermouth generally.
'On Broadway' is a collection of loosely connected short stories full of dudes and dolls, bootleggers and speakeasies. It's funny, surprising, and even after 500+ pages I wanted more. It's definitely a book that makes you want to drink a cocktail, and probably something really authentically prohibition era - a Bees Knees, or a Mary Pickford maybe, definitely something that involves rum would be good...
The Bronx is actually a pre prohibition cocktail, but the orange juice gives it the fruity edge I'm looking for. For a prohibition era feel I'd make it with a sweeter Vermouth (to disguise the roughness of bootleg gin). The basic recipe is equal quantities of fresh orange juice, gin, and vermouth. For a dry Bronx use dry vermouth, or for a 'perfect' Bronx mix a dry and sweet vermouth together. Combine everything in a shaker with lots of ice, shake well, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an orange twist if you like.
This is a great drink to play around with vermouth's in - how dry, or sweet, you prefer it might come as a surprise. My instinct after 20 years in the wine trade is to always go dry (there's undoubtedly a bit of snobbery about this, as well as a learnt but genuine appreciation of drier drinks), but I've found with Martini style drinks that I prefer all sorts of things I'd never have expected - like Gin & It's and red Vermouth generally.
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