Cocktails in the Time of Quarantine

In recent days, you’ve likely seen the letter that Scott Fitzgerald purportedly wrote in 1920, describing his days of quarantine in the South of France during the Spanish Influenza pandemic.  The letter, which is actually a parody, was written by Nick Farriella for the humor web site McSweeney’s.  More on the letter can be found here:

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-quarantine-fitzgerald-lette/false-claim-this-is-a-1920-letter-from-scott-fitzgerald-in-quarantine-during-the-spanish-influenza-idUSKBN21733X

In the letter, Fitzgerald complained that his friend Ernest Hemingway was something of a “denier” about the flu, and that Hemingway refused to stop visiting his favorite bars during the crisis.  When Scot chided him about his selfishness, Hemingway punched him in the stomach – and he didn’t even have the decency to wash his hands!

The letter, of course, is fiction, but sometimes truth is even more interesting than fiction.  You see, there actually was a situation involving Hemingway, Fitzgerald and the South of France, but it happened six years later, in 1926.

You see, both Hemingway and Fitzgerald were good friends with an amazing couple by the name of Sara and Gerald Murphy.  To say that they were merely wealthy American socialites would sell them far short.  Gerald decided to step away from his position with luxury goods manufacturer Mark Cross, and devoted his time to the study of art, and produced a number of acclaimed paintings throughout the 1920s.  Sara was an amazing hostess, and their dinner parties, both in Paris and at their summer home, Villa America in Cap d’Antibes, were legendary.  They were perhaps best known for the company they kept, as they surrounded themselves with some of the most compelling figures of the day, from Hemingway to Scott and Zelda, John Dos Passos, Pablo Picasso, Cole Porter, Robert Benchley, Dorothy Parker, Archibald and Ada MacLeish, the list goes on.

EH 6949P Pamplona, Spain, summer 1926. L-R (at table): Gerald Murphy, Sara Murphy, Pauline Pfeiffer, Ernest Hemingway and Hadley Hemingway. Photograph in the Ernest Hemingway Photograph Collection, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

Shown above are Gerald and Sara Murphy, Pauline Pfieffer, Hadley and Ernest Hemingway, July, 1926, during the Fiesta of San Fermin in Pamplona

In the summer of 1926, Ernest and Hadley Hemingway and their toddler son Jack were invited to join the Murphys for an extended visit at Villa America.  Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald and Archibald and Ada MacLeish had rented nearby villas.  Ernest had was actually in Madrid, finishing the final draft of what would become his first true novel, The Sun Also Rises.  He arranged to travel by train to meet Hadley and Jack, aka Bumby, in Cap d’Antibes.  Unfortunately, Jack came down with whooping cough, and had to be quarantined.  In the words of Hadley:

“I remember once we went down to visit Gerald and Sara Murphy at Antibes – they had just discovered Ernest and were crazy about him and asked us down with our son, Jack, to play with their children. We stayed in an awfully cute little guest house they had, but Jack got the whooping cough. He was very small and very cute, but the whooping cough scared the Murphys, who had three children, and they were very, very particular about the least germ.  So, though perfectly wonderful hosts, they said they couldn’t let us stay, because we wouldn’t be able to keep the children apart. At that point Scott Fitzgerald came forward.  He had a villa at Juan-les-Pins, just down the beach, and Scott, just out of the goodness of his heart, gave us his villa.  He said that he had another villa that he was going to move into shortly when the rental of the one we took was over.  So he moved ahead of time and gave us this place.”

A typical day in the South of France with the Murphys

As an aside, in recent days I’m sure we all have our stories to tell about how we’ve managed to socialize with our friends, while still keeping a safe distance.  It was no different for the folks in Cap d’Antibes that summer.  I mean, can you imagine the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald letting something like a quarantine keep them from enjoying happy hour?  No, indeed.  Again, back to Hadley, who recalled how they managed:

“And all of them would come over (at) yardarm time and sit in their cars outside an iron grille fence and we would be up on this little, tiny porch, and we’d all have drinks together, at a respectable distance, of course.  And each empty bottle was put on a spike on the fence, and we really decorated the place in the course of a couple of weeks.”[i]

But while the Murphys were intent on keeping their distance from the Hemingways, one other member of the party had different intentions.  That would be a young Vogue magazine editor named Pauline Pfeiffer.  She met Ernest and Hadley at a small gathering at the Paris apartment of Harold Loeb and Kitty Cannell in March of 1925 to celebrate the fact that both Hemingway’s short story collection In Our Time and Loeb’s novel Doodab were to be published by New York based Boni & Liveright.  As an aside, the following year, Hemingway would publish The Sun Also Rises, and would base two rather unflattering characters on Loeb and Cannell, much to their chagrin.  But that’s another story.

EH 5734P Ernest Hemingway with Lady Duff Twysden, Hadley Hemingway, and three unidentified people at a cafe in Pamplona, Spain, during the Fiesta of San Fermin in July 1925. Photograph in the Ernest Hemingway Photograph Collection, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

Shown above, some of the people on whom Hemingway based his characters in The Sun Also Rises, that’s Harold Loeb in the background with the glasses.  Ernest Hemingway Collection. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston

In the weeks that followed that fateful meeting at Loeb’s apartment, Pauline appeared to Hemingway’s friend Bill Smith “to be working hard to capture Ernest’s attention.”[ii]  She accompanied Ernest and Hadley to Schruns, Austria on a ski holiday the following Christmas, and joined the Hemingways and Murphys at the Fiesta of San Fermin in Pamplona in July of 1926.  By that time Ernest and Pauline’s friendship had developed into a full-blown affair.  By May of 1927, Ernest and Hadley would be divorced, and Pauline would be the new Mrs. Ernest Hemingway.  But let’s get back to Cap d’Antibes and that happy hour, shall we?

Gerald Murphy was about as serious a home bartender as they came.  According to son-in-law William Donnelly:

“The Murphy cocktail hour was a unique production.  As the hour approached, Sara would place on the bar small Steuben pitchers containing orange, lemon, and lime juice, always fresh.  There would be mint, orange slices, lemon twists, onions, olives, and so on.  Gerald would take the orders.  This man didn’t mix drinks, he performed an office.  He looked like a chemist or magician, measuring, mixing, holding up to the light, garnishing, and, finally, serving with a flourish.  He was absolutely delighted when someone ordered a complicated drink that called for several ingredients.  His opinion of drinking was that he loved drinking but disliked drunks.  He had mixed a batch of drinks one evening for our friend Max N. Edwards, then an assistant secretary of the interior.  As they watched the sunset from my terrace, Gerald remarked that ‘this drink has gone right to my head, which is just what I intended it to do.’”[iii]

Now, as for that quarantine situation, it seems that Pauline had had whooping cough as a child, so she wasn’t afraid of catching it again.  So, it seemed natural for her to “share the Hemingways’ quarantine until it was time to go to Pamplona”[iv] in early July.  Soon enough, the Fitzgeralds’ lease on the Villa Paquita had ended, so Ernest, Hadley and Pauline rented two rooms at the Hôtel de la Pinède in Juan-les-Pins.

“It was near the beach and had a small garden where the ménage a trois took most of their meals.  Each morning they spent on the beach, swimming and taking the sun.  After lunch in the garden and a long siesta, they took long bicycle rides along the Golfe de Juan, returning at yardarm time with the Murphys, the MacLeishes, and the Fitzgeralds.  Bumby and Madame Rohrbach (his nanny) lived in a small bungalow nearby, walking among the pines and playing on the rocks.  But at the hotel there were three of everything: breakfast trays, bicycles, bathing suits drying on the line – and worst of all two women in love with the same man.  Hadley was at some pains to pretend that nothing was amiss.”[v]

F. Scott Fitzgerald dances with his wife, Zelda, and daughter, Frances “Scottie,” in front of a Christmas tree in Paris.

Scott, Zelda and Scottie in their Paris apartment, circa mid-1920s

So what might the Murphys have been serving at happy hour during those days of quarantine?  One possibility was a Murphy concoction named the Villa America Special, which was more or less a variation on the Sidecar, with some unidentified liqueur used as the sweetener.  Perhaps the ever-witty Murphy might have been clever enough to call it the “Stay the F*** Inside Car,” to encourage the Hemingways to stay within the quarantine boundary fence.  But the drink might have been another Murphy invention known as the “Juice of a Few Flowers,” which in later years became known as the Murphys’ “House Cocktail.”

Murphy was often secretive about what went into his cocktails; if asked, he was likely to reply, “just the juice of a few flowers.[i]”  Among Murphy’s friends was the playwright Philip Barry, author of The Philadelphia Story, the 1939 Broadway sensation that was immortalized on screen in 1940 by Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart.  Barry saw fit to work Murphy’s trademark expression into the plot.  In one scene, after a night of over-imbibing with Stewart, Hepburn awakened with a massive hangover.  Grant fixed her a Stinger (white crème de menthe and brandy) as a hangover remedy.  When she asked what’s in it, Grant suavely replied, “Just the juice of a few flowers.  It’s a type of stinger.  Removes the sting.[ii]”

I’m reading in recent days that some hospitals are giving coronavirus patients megadoses of Vitamin C.  With that in mind, I heartily recommend the Juice of a Few Flowers, as it’s packed with not one but four citrus juices.  Without further ado I offer you the recipe for The Juice of a Few Flowers.  Here’s how:

Juice of a Few Flowers

1 oz London dry gin

1 oz orange juice

1 oz grapefruit juice

½ oz lime juice

½ oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass that has been rimmed with coarse sugar.

Cheers, and stay safe!  To your health!

[i] Amanda Vaill Stewart, Everybody Was So Young (New York: Broadway Books, 1998), 162

[ii]  http://theerrantaesthete.com/2009/08/30/adieu-summer/

[i] Alfred G. Aronowitz and Peter Hamill, Ernest Hemingway – The Life and Death of a Man (New York: Lancer Books, Inc., 1961), p 164

[ii] Carlos Baker, Ernest Hemingway: A Life Story (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1969), 144.

[iii]  William M. Donnelly, foreword to Sarah and Gerald – Villa America and After, Honoria Murphy Donnelly with Richard Billings (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1982), xv

[iv] Id, at 171.

[v]  Carlos Baker, Ernest Hemingway – A Life Story (New York: Charles Scribners’ Sons, 1969), 171

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOTAC’s 7th Annual Holiday Cocktail Seminar

On December 9 the Museum of the American Cocktails hosted its 7th Annual Holiday Cocktail Seminar, featuring an all-star cast of some of DC’s best and brightest bartenders. Presenters included Derek Brown (The Passenger, Columbia Room, Mockingbird Hill, Eat the Rich, Southern Efficiency), Gina Chersevani (Buffalo & Bergen, Hank’s Oyster Bar Capitol Hill), JP Fetherston (Southern Efficiency, Columbia Room), Frank Jones (The Gibson), Ben Matz (Eat the Rich), and Chantel Tseng (Mockingbird Hill). The group was led by MOTAC Co-Founder Phil Greene.

From Left: Frank Jones, Ben Matz, Derek Brown, JP Fetherston, Chantel Tseng and Phil Greene.

The Warehouse Theater, located just behind the Passenger, served as this year’s venue. A packed house of around 80 people were treated to many delectable warm and cold cocktails highlighting traditional and seasonal ingredients.

To begin things off Gina Chersevani presented her “Who’s Santa’s Mama Now?“:

1.5 oz chocolate/chestnut washed Johnny Walker 12 year
.5 oz Alvear’s 1927 PX Solera Sherry
1 tablespoon sugar
3 oz hot milk
Touch of whipped cream
Garnish with shaved chocolate

For a lighter version replace the milk for water and whipped cream for an orange peel.

In a hot mug pour 1.5 oz washed scotch, .5 oz Pedro Ximenez, 1 tablespoon sugar, then add 3 oz of hot milk, stir until sugar is dissolved. Garnish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

Next came Chantel Tseng who presented Wassail:

Score three red apples and place in a pot. Add on half cup brown sugar, two bottles of brown ale, 1 cup Romate Gold Cream Sherry and bake for 30 minutes.

Over the stove top, pour 6 bottles of Sam Smith Nut Brown Ale, add 1 tsp. each of ground cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Grate and add the zest of two lemons. Simmer. Add apple mixture and sugar to taste.

Derek Brown then presented his Yule Glögg:

1 bottle of full-bodied red wine
3/4 cup Aquavit
1/4 cup Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum
1 tsp. crushed cardamom seeds
2 tsp. cloves
½ tsp. grated ginger
2 tsp. grated orange zest
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup whole almonds — blanched
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup brown sugar

Bring wine to boil. Tie spices and zest in to a cheesecloth. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add in almonds, sugar and raisins; cook for 5-10 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat. Add in Aquavit and Rum. Stir, and remove spices. Serve hot.

Frank Jones then offered his own version of Eggnog:

4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 container vanilla soy milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 Oz Bulleit Bourbon
6 Oz Dale DeGroff Pimento Bitters
Nutmeg

And for those of us who are traditionalists, JP Fetherson made guests a Baltimore Eggnog:

1 750ml bottle Whistle Pig 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey
1 750ml bottle Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaican rum
2 lbs confectioners sugar
3 qts whole milk (Trickling Springs)
1 qt heavy cream
1 tsp table salt
24 eggs

Separate egg yolks and egg whites. Beat 24 egg yolks until they are light and lemon-colored. Add the rye, rum, sugar, milk, cream and salt, all while beating the ingredients while adding them.

Beat the 24 egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Add 3/4 tsp. of fresh nutmeg and fold into the liquid mixture. Serves 25.

And last but not least, Ben Matz offered his Iced Irish Coffee:

4 oz. Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
10 oz. strong chicory coffee
2 oz. sweetened condensed milk

Brew strong coffee over 3 crushed cinnamon sticks, add condensed milk and chill. Combine with Tullamore Dew.

And as a surprise treat for guests to cap the night off, Phil Greene made a Hemingway Hot Rum Punch:

9 oz Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum

6 oz Papa’s Pilar Dark Rum

6 oz Cognac Ferrand 1840

15 oz water

4 1/2 oz lemon juice

3 oz lime juice

3 oz Depaz Cane Syrup (from Martinique), or brown sugar simple syrup

Add all ingredients to a pot, set on stove on low, simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve in punch cup, Irish coffee glass, sturdy wine glass, or rocks glass.  Garnish with lemon peel. Option, add a dash of Angostura Bitters or Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters to each serving.

Not only would we like to thank everyone for coming along with our top-notch crew of presenters, but none of this could be made possible without our sponsors, namely Tullamore Dew, Whistle Pig Rye, Bulleit Bourbon, Johnny Walker Black Label, Papa’s Pilar Rum, Pierre Ferrand Cognac, Dale Degroff’s Pimento Bitters, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, Alvear’s 1927 PX Solera Sherry, and Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaican Rum. Thank you!

Cheers to the Chief! Favorite Presidential Cocktails

On August 12 the Museum of the American Cocktail and the Smithsonian Associates hosted “Cheers to the Chief! Favorite Presidential Cocktails.” MOTAC Co-Founder Phil Greene presented five cocktails to over 150 guests.

To start things off Phil made a classic Daiquiri, one of John F. Kennedy’s favorite drinks.  According to his excellent book, And a Bottle of Rum, Wayne Curtis writes that JFK was enjoying a Daiquiri at the Kennedy home in Hyannis Port, Cape Cod, on Election Day, 1960, when he learned he’d soon become the White House’s next resident.  We used the award-winning Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum in the Daiquiri, from the Hemingway Rum Company.  Only fitting, since Ernest Hemingway and JFK became friends toward the end of Hemingway’s life, and the Hemingway Collection is housed within the JFK Presidential Library in Boston.

Daiquiri (a favorite of President Kennedy)

 

1.5 oz Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz Fee Brothers Rock Candy Syrup

 

Shake all ingredients well with ice, strain into a cocktail glass or coup (wider-styled Champagne glass)

Phil also featured the McKinley’s Delight, a great variation on the Manhattan, named after the 25th President of the United States.  The drink was said to have been created by a St. Louis bartender in honor of the 1896 GOP Convention, held in that city.  After the start of the Spanish-American War in 1898, the drink also came to be known as the Remember the Maine!  We used Bulleit Frontier Rye Whiskey, Cherry Heering Cherry Liqueur (essential to a true Singapore Sling!), Dolin Rouge, and a dash of Pernod Absinthe.  A delicious drink.

McKinley’s Delight (a.k.a. Remember the Maine)

 

3 oz Bulleit Rye

1 oz Dolin Sweet Vermouth

2 dashes Cherry Herring

1 dash Pernod Absinthe

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a cherry.

In honor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s penchant for mixology, Phil presented a straightforward gin Martini.  FDR served Martinis to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (he complained they were “cold on the stomach”) and to British King George VI at FDR’s home in Hyde Park, to the chagrin of both his and the King’s mother!  The Citadelle Gin and Dolin worked beautifully together in this classic.

Martini

2 oz Citadelle Gin

1 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth

2 dashes Fee Brothers Orange bitters (optional)

1 olive

1 tsp olive brine (optional)

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with plenty of ice. Strain into a chilled cocktails glass. Garnish with an olive.

Phil also did a Richard Nixon favorite, the Trader Vic’s Navy Grog. Nixon would often duck out of the White House and go up the street to 16th and K, where a Trader Vic’s was housed within the old Statler-Hilton Hotel.  He also loved a good Mai-Tai!  The Plantation Original Dark and 3 Star Rums worked beautifully with Dale DeGroff’s amazing Pimento Bitters.

Trader Vic’s Navy Grog

 

2 oz Plantation Original Dark Rum

1 oz Plantation 3 Star Rum

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz grapefruit juice

1/4 oz (or to taste) Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters

Shake all ingredients until icy-cold and serve over a mount (or customarily, and inverted ice cone) of finely shaven ice with a straw stuck in it.

Rounding out the five drinks, Phil did Harry Truman staple, the Old Fashioned.  In his excellent book, How’s Your Drink, Eric Felten tells us that Harry and Bess Truman often drank their bourbon neat, saying that the orange and cherry added to a traditional Old Fashioned was too much like fruit punch.  Harry loved his bourbon, and was sipping on some in Sam Rayburn’s office that fateful day in April, 1945 when FDR died, making Truman the next President.  He rushed to the White House and, ever the gentleman, asked the newly-widowed Eleanor Roosevelt, “Is there anything I can do for you?”  She replied, “I think the proper question is, can we do anything for you?  You’re the one in trouble now!”  Indeed.  The Bulleit Frontier Bourbon was perfect in this American classic.

Old Fashioned

2 oz Bulleit Bourbon

1 tsp Fee Brothers Rock Candy Syrup

Dash water

2 dashes Fee Brothers Aromatic or Whiskey Barrel Bitters

1 orange peel

In a rocks glass muddle the syrup, bitters and orange peel. Add ice add bourbon. Stir well and serve.

As a special guest, Phil asked Mark Will-Weber to join him for the Q&A session.  Mark is the author of the soon-to-be-published book Mint Juleps With Teddy Roosevelt – The Complete History of Presidential Drinking.  Mark add a considerable amount to the evening, to be sure!

We would like to thank the wonderful volunteers from the Smithsonian Associates along with Luke Johnson and Matt Keller for slinging cocktails for 150 people .

And of course, none of these cocktails could have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Fee Brothers Bitters and Rock Candy Syrup, Bulleit Bourbon and Rye, Dolin Dry and Sweet Vermouth, Citadelle Gin, Papa’s Pilar Blonde Rum, Plantation Original Dark Rum, Plantation 3 Star Rum, Pernod Absinthe, and Cherry Heering Cherry Liqueur.

Negroni: Italian for Ménage a Trois – Evolution of a Three-Part Classic

On February 20 the Museum of the American Cocktail hosted “Negroni: Italian for Ménage a Trois – Evolution of a Three-Part Classic” presented by Luke Johnson, Matt Keller and Dave Lord at the historic Occidental. Typically Luke, Matt and Dave can be found behind the scenes assisting MOTAC Co-Founder Philip Greene at the Museum’s DC-based seminars. This time though the three came forward to feature a cocktail that is witnessing a rebirth of popularity while often caught in a love-hate debate among those cringing at its bitterness and intensity and those drawn by its robust flavors that go against the grain of mainstream cocktail culture.  Not only did the seminar focus on the Negroni, but took the audience on an historical journey reaching back to the Negroni’s roots from the Milano-Torino to the many offspring in the Negroni cocktail family.

From left: Dave Lord, Matt Keller and Luke Johnson.

To start things off Matt featured the Americano. Created before the Negroni in the early 1860s by Campari creator Gaspare Campari, the Americano was first called the Milano-Torino, the name alluding to the Campari made in Milan and the sweet vermouth (Cinzano) which came from Turin. The Milano-Torino later became known as the Americano as it became very popular among Americans travelling through Italy during Prohibition. Of the many loopholes in Prohibition, the one allowing for medicinal use of alcohol may have been the reason for this. Considered then by many to have medicinal value, Campari (a bitter) contains ingredients including various fruits, aromatic herbs and spices including quinine, rhubarb, ginseng, and the peel of bitter oranges along with cascarilla bark which gives Campari its distinctive bitterness. Such herbal liqueurs were allowed to be consumed in the US during prohibition (by prescription only, of course – wink-wink) for various “ailments.” Balanced out with sweet vermouth and rounded off with some soda water, the Americano was likely the perfect cocktail for Americans who had acquired a taste for medicinal bitters, some even taking Campari back to the US “under doctor’s orders.”

Luke and Matt prepare an army of Americanos. Photo courtesy of Ana Maria Argudo-Lord.

Americano

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Martini Rosso Vermouth

1-2 oz. Soda Water

Combine Campari and sweet vermouth in an ice-filled glass, top off with soda water and garnish with a slice of orange or a lemon twist.

Luke then presented to the audience the pièce de résistance, the Negroni. He explained that sometime around 1920 a regular customer at the Caffe Casoni, one Count Camillo Negroni came in and ordered a variation on the popular Americano cocktail – only make it ‘po piu robusto’ – a little stronger – by replacing the club soda with gin. One of the greatest of all classic cocktails was born. Bittersweet, yet enchanting, this drink keeps its followers coming back time and time again…

Luke makes sure the audience can answer his t-shirt with a resounding YES! Photo courtesy of Ana Maria Argudo-Lord.

Negroni

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Plymouth Gin

1 oz. Martini Rosso Vermouth

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass, stir on ice until well chilled and strained into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with a slice of orange.

For one of the offsprings of the Negroni, Dave showcased the Negroni Sbagliato or “Wrong Negroni” which was created by Mirko Stochetto, owner of the iconic Bar Basso in Milan. In the middle of the 1970’s (probably around 1972 or 1973), Mirko was experiencing a very busy night when he reached for prosecco rather than gin while preparing a Negroni. Realizing his mistake, he offered to make a new drink for the bar guest. The patron declined however, realizing that the addition of prosecco could make for an excellent thirst quencher on a hot day. Thus, the Negroni Sbagliato was born and quickly became Bar Basso’s signature drink.

Dave fields questions from the audience at the historic Occidental, just steps from the White House. Photo courtesy of Ana Maria Argudo-Lord.

Negroni Sbagliato

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Martini Rosso Vermouth

1 oz. Prosecco

Combine the Campari and vermouth in an ice-filled white wine glass, top off with Prosecco and garnish with an orange segment.

For an American twist on the Negroni, Luke turned the audience’s attention to My Old Pal. This classic is similar to the Negroni with its 1:1:1 ratios, only with rye whiskey in place of gin. Created by Harry MacElhone, owner and proprietor of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, this drink appears in his 1922 book, Harry’s ABC of Cocktails, although it’s possible this drink was created as early as 1878 – predating the Negroni by over 40 years. Regardless of which came first, the Old Pal is a delicious drink in its own right. Most authorities suggest using dry vermouth, but sweet vermouth makes for a better, more flavorful cocktail. Who cares if some people believe that the use of sweet vermouth makes it a Boulevardier which is made with bourbon, sweet vermouth and Campari.

My Old Pal

1.5 oz. Whistle Pig Rye

1 oz. Martini Rosso Vermouth

1 oz. Campari

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and stir on ice until well chilled, strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. No garnish.

To conclude the seminar, Dave introduced guests to the Jasmine. While not technically a cocktail that people would group into the Negroni family, we included this refreshing sour cocktail for its featuring of the backbone of the Negroni: Campari. The Jasmine was created by bartender Paul Harrington at the Townhouse Bar and Grill in Emeryville, California in the early 1990s. A friend of Paul’s, named Matt Jasmine, asked Paul to come up with a new drink for him. Moments before Matt had taken a bar stool, Paul had made a classic Pegu cocktail (gin, Cointreau, lime, Angostura bitters) for another bar guest. For his new creation, Paul opted to switch out the lime juice for lemon juice, and the Angostura bitters for Campari. When Matt asked Paul what the drink was called, he simply replied, “The Jasmine.” Another guest who later tried it said “Congratulations, you just invented grapefruit juice!” With the drink’s appealing color and strikingly similar taste to grapefruit juice, this drink would become a gateway cocktail for people who were previously opposed to gin.

The Jasmine

1.5 oz. Plymouth Gin

1 oz. Cointreau

.75 oz. Campari

.5 oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake ingredients on ice until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

As a funny story, in preparing for the Negroni seminar, Luke, Matt and Dave thought it would be nice to create an original cocktail to present. After many attempts, and patting themselves on their back for their stroke of brilliance, they came up with a drink they knew would be a hit combining gin, Campari, lemon juice, Cointreau and grapefruit bitters. Thankfully, saving the three from embarrassment, Dave realized they had essentially recreated the Jasmine. Though the three may not be able to take full credit for their creation, here is the recipe for the grapefruit-forward “Accidental Jasmine” which we hope becomes part of your cocktail repertoire:

The Accidental Jasmine

2 oz. Plymouth Gin

1 oz. Campari

.5 oz. fresh lemon juice

.5 oz. Cointreau

1 dash Fee Brothers Grapefruit bitters

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and vigorously shake on ice until well chilled. Strain into a coupe or cocktail glass and garnish with a twist of grapefruit.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Cointreau, Campari, Fee Brothers (Grapefruit Bitters) and Plymouth Gin, and our friends at Martini and Whistle Pig for donating Martini Rosso Vermouth and Whistle Pig 10 Year Old Rye. A special thanks also to the Occidental Grill and Seafood for providing not only a wonderful venue, but seamless service and great food to accompany the drinks.

MOTAC’s 6th Annual Holiday Cocktail Seminar in DC

On December 11th the Museum of the American Cocktail held its 6th Holiday Cocktail Seminar showcasing some of the DC area’s most esteemed bartenders. The audience was treated to a wintry mix of hot and cold cocktails tailored to the season. MOTAC’s Phil Greene hosted the event featuring Alex Bookless of The Passenger, Gina Chersevani of Hank’s Oyster Bar and Buffalo & Bergen, Rachel Sergi of Lincoln, Jo-Jo Valenzuela of City Tap House , Jamie MacBain of Bourbon Steak and Jackson 20 and Jon Arroyo of The Farm and Farmers Fishers and Bakers.

To start things off Jon Arroyo gave a demonstration of his “Tom and Jerry at the Farm”

12 Eggs

2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tbsp Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters

1 Tbsp Angostura Bitters

1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar

Ground Nutmeg

For each drink:

1oz Apple Cider

1.5oz Cognac Ferrand

Separate egg whites and yolks. In a large mixing bowl add egg yolks and sugar and beat them until creamy. In a separate bowl add the egg whites and cream of tartar and beat until it forms stiff peaks. Mix and fold egg whites into the yolks until you have a consistent batter. In a preheated mug add approximately 2 tablespoons of batter, add cognac, top with hot water and stir. Dust with nutmeg and serve.

Jon Arroyo.

Jo-Jo Valenzuela treated participants to his cocktail “It’s the Most Wonderful Thyme of the Year” which incorporated bourbon, cinnamon-thyme syrup, apple cider and lemon juice garnished with pomegranate seeds and a thyme sprig.

Gina Chersevani presented a classic mulled wine or Glühwein to warm everyone up:

1 bottle dry red wine

1 Cup blanched almonds

1/2 Cup Raisins

1/2 Cup Craisins

1 Cinnamon Stick

10 Whole Cardamom Pods

5 Whole Cloves

1 Piece Ginger Root

1/2 lb. of Sugar Cubes

16oz of Aquavit

In a pot, pour the bottle of wine, then tie into a cheese cloth the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and ginger root and drop into the pot. Slowly heat to simmering then add the dried fruit and nuts and heat for 10 minutes more. Over the pot place a metal grate to suspended the sugar cubes above the wine mixture, pour the aquavit over the sugar, ignite, allowing the aquavit to burn off. Then drop sugar into the wine mixture and stir until melted in. Ladle mulled wine and fruit into cups and serve.

Gina Chersevani ignites sugar cubes with Aquavit for her hot Glühwein.

Alex Bookless then demonstrated her sweet, nutty and velvety Averna Flip:

1oz Cardamaro

1oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino

1/2oz Averna

1/4oz Simple Syrup

1 Egg

Nutmeg

In a shaker add the raw egg, Cardamaro, vermouth, Averna and simple syrup and give it a hard, dry shake (shaking without ice) to fully emulsify the egg. Then add ice and shake vigorously until cold and frothy. Strain into a glass and garnish with a dusting of nutmeg.

Alex Bookless’ Averna Flip.

Rachel Sergi served her creation “The North Star:”

Rachel Sergi

1oz Beefeater 24

1oz Cointreau

1/2oz Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Bitters

1oz Pink Grapefruit Juice

3 Dashes Cranberry Bitters

3/4oz Barrel Aged Cider

Add ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake until ice cold and strain into a cocktail glass. Enjoy.

Jamie MacBain concluded the seminar with a Hot Buttered Rum with dark rum, homemade butterscotch, a spice bouquet, and topped with dulce de leche foam.

We would like to thank our sponsors for making the evening possible: Cognac Ferrand, Remy-Cointreau, Fee Brothers, and Pernod-Ricard.

Literary Libations

“No poems can please nor live long which are written by water-drinkers.”

Horace (65-8 B.C.)

On August 13, The Museum of the American Cocktail partnered with the Smithsonian Associates to present “Literary Libations,” presented by MOTAC co-founder Philip Greene. 160 participants were treated to tastings of cocktails featured by great authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Truman Capote, William Faulkner, Hunter Thompson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and many more. Here are the literary links to the cocktails featured that night.

To start the audience off right, Greene presented the Vesper featured in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, which introduced to the world Britain’s most famous, fictional agent. While having dinner with CIA agent Felix Leiter, James Bond makes the following order:

“A dry martini,” [Bond] said. “One. In a deep champagne goblet.“

“Oui, monsieur.”

“Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet.  Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?“

“Certainly, monsieur.” The barman seemed pleased with the idea.

“Gosh, that’s certainly a drink,” said Leiter.

“Bond laughed.  ‘When I’m…er…concentrating,“ he explained, “I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink’s my own invention. I’m going to patent it when I can think of a good name.’”

Vesper

2 ¼ oz. Citadelle Gin

¾ oz. Skyy Vodka

1/3 oz. Lillet Blanc

Shake well with ice, strain into a chilled champagne goblet, garnish with lemon peel.

Greene went on to explain that the first cocktail Bond orders in “Casino Royale” is the Americano. But in Fleming’s 007 book From a View to a Kill, Fleming goes deeper into Bond’s affinity for the drink:

“James Bond had his first drink of the evening at Fouquet’s. It was not a solid drink. One cannot drink seriously in French cafés. Out of doors on a pavement in the sun is no place for vodka or whisky or gin. A fine a l’eau is fairly serious, but it intoxicates without tasting very good. A quart de champagne or a champagne à l’orange is all right before luncheon, but in the evening one quart leads to another quart and a bottle of indifferent champagne is a bad foundation for the night. Pernod is possible, but it should be drunk in company, and anyway Bond had never liked the stuff because its liquorice taste reminded him of his childhood. No, in cafés you have to drink the least offensive of the musical comedy drinks that go with them, and Bond always had the same thing–an Americano–Bitter Campari, Cinzano, a large slice of lemon peel and soda. For the soda he always specified Perrier, for in his opinion expensive soda water was the cheapest way to improve a poor drink.”

The Americano Cocktail

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Martini Sweet Vermouth

1-2 oz. Seltzer Water

Pour Campari and Vermouth into a highball glass filled with ice. Stir. Top with seltzer and garnish with an orange wedge or lemon twist.

Of course, you can’t talk about the Americano without also mentioning the Negroni. Enter General Pascal Olivier de Negroni, Count of Negroni (1829-1913). As the story goes…Around the same time that the Americano received its name, an Italian nobleman by the name of Count Camillo Negroni began frequenting the Bar Casoni in Florence.  There, he asked the bartender, Fosco Scarselli, to liven up his Americano cocktail with a splash of gin in place of the seltzer water.  And thus was born the Negroni.

And of course, James Bond was a fan. In Fleming’s “For Your Eyes Only” the Negroni is featured along with the creamy Brandy Alexander.  In this scene, Bond was to meet another agent, one whom he’d never met before.  Instead of relying on the standard identifiers, such as a flower in the lapel or a certain hat, this agent used a drink:

“James Bond felt the inspection. The same surreptitious examination had been going on since he had met the man two hours before at the rendezvous in the Excelsior bar. Bond had been told to look for a man with a heavy moustache who would be sitting by himself drinking an Alexander. Bond had been amused by this secret recognition signal. The creamy, feminine drink was so much cleverer than the folded newspaper, the flower in the buttonhole, the yellow gloves that were the hoary, slipshod call-signs between agents. It had also the great merit of being able to operate alone, without its owner. And Kristatos had started off with a little test. When Bond had come into the bar and looked round there had been perhaps twenty people in the room. None of them had a moustache. But on a corner table at the far side of the tall, discreet room, flanked by a saucer of olives and another of cashew nuts, stood the tall-stemmed glass of cream and vodka. Bond went straight over to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down.”

The waiter came. “Good evening, sir. Signor Kristatos is at the telephone.’”
Bond nodded. “A Negroni. With Gordon’s, please.”
The waiter walked back to the bar. “Negroni. Uno. Gordon’s.”  . . .
There had been no handshake. These were old acquaintances. In the same line of business, probably. Something like import and export. The younger one looked American. No. Not with those clothes. English.  . . .
The Negroni came. The two men sat back comfortably, each one satisfied that he had to do with a man in the same league.”

The Negroni Cocktail

1 oz. Hendrick’s Gin

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Martini sweet vermouth

Pour gin, Campari and vermouth into a rocks glass filled with ice. Stir well, serve with an orange twist. Or strained into a cocktail glass.

Greene’s lively presentation also featured Raymond Chandler, author of the great Philip Marlowe detective novels The Big Sleep (1939), Farewell My Lovely (1940), and The Long Goodbye (1953), as well as the screenplays for the classic films “Strangers on a Train” (1951), and “Double Indemnity” (1944). Chandler was a fan of a good drink, being quoted as saying “Alcohol is like love. The first kiss is magic, the second is intimate, the third is routine. After that you take the girl’s clothes off.”

In The Long Goodbye, the Gimlet makes several cameo appearances, notably:

“We sat in a corner of the bar at Victor’s and drank gimlets.  “They don’t know how to make them here,” he said.  “What they call a gimlet is just some lime or lemon juice with a dash of sugar and bitters.  A real gimlet is half gin and half Rose’s Lime Juice and nothing else.  It beats martinis hollow.”

Ernest Hemingway also wrote of the Gimlet in “Green Hills of Africa:”

“What about a gimlet?” Pop asked. “Don’t you think a gimlet might help?”
“Tell me first what are the things, the actual, concrete things that harm a writer?”
I was tired of the conversation which was becoming an interview. So I would make it an interview and finish it. The necessity to put a thousand intangibles into a sentence, now, before lunch, was too bloody.
“Politics, women, drink, money, ambition. And the lack of politics, women, drink, money and ambition,” I said profoundly.”

The Gimlet

2 oz. Hendricks gin

1 oz. Rose’s Lime Juice

Shake on ice until well chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge or wheel.

Moving on, Greene featured the Bronx Cocktail, which was featured in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel This Side of Paradise.

“Have a drink?”

Wilson, ponderously diplomatic, reached over and slapped him on the back.

“You’ve had plenty, old boy.”

Amory eyed him dumbly until Wilson grew embarrassed under the scrutiny.

“Plenty, hell!” said Amory finally. “I haven’t had a drink to-day.”

Wilson looked incredulous.

“Have a drink or not?” cried Amory rudely.

Together they sought the bar.

“Rye high.”

“I’ll just take a Bronx.”

Eric Felton said “When W.E.B. Dubois wanted to draw a caricature of a “gentleman” in his 1940 book “Dusk of Dawn,” he described the man as having “good manners, Oxford accent and Brooks Brothers to-order clothes. He plays keen golf, smokes a rare weed and knows a Bronx cocktail from a Manhattan.“

The Bronx Cocktail

1 ½ oz. Citadelle Gin

½ oz Martini Sweet Vermouth

½ oz. Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth

½ oz. Orange Juice

Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Greene then discussed the Whiskey Sour.  In a 1951 article in the St. Petersburg Times concerning Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, bar owner Harry MacElhone noted that he “missed the good old days when Hemingway and Fitzgerald were customers, and that ‘Hemingway could down 20 whiskey sours at once sitting and then go back to his hotel to work.’”

Greene then went to tell the story of an ill-fated road trip taken by Hemingway and Fitzgerald, from Lyon to Paris, during which a whole hell of a lot of literary drinking took place.  It seems that Fitzgerald’s wife Zelda had cut the top off of their car, so when it rained, Hem and Scott got drenched.  They checked into a hotel to “dry out,” only literally, of course, and when Scott became convinced he was gravely ill from exposure, Hemingway treated him with a course of Whiskey Sours.

The Whiskey Sour

1 1/2-2 oz. Wild Turkey Bourbon

½ oz. Fee Brothers Rock Candy Syrup

Splash water

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

Shake well with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

In Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins, the frothy Ramos Gin Fizz makes an appearance:

Trays pass.  I begin to drink Ramos gin fizzes with one swallow.  At one time I was allergic to egg white bit that was long ago.  These drinks feel silky and benign.  Waiters too are dressed as Santa.  They grin sideways from their skewed Santa hoods and shout ‘Christmas gif!”

“I see Lola clearly, holding her gin fizz.

I am glad to see you,” says Lola, who is five feet nine and in her  high heels looks me straight in the eye and says what she thinks.

“So am I,” I say, feeling a wonder that there should be such as thing as a six-foot woman who is glad to see me.  Women are mythical creatures.  They have no more connection with the ordinary run of things than do centaurs.  I see her clearly, gin fizz in one hand, the other held against her sacrum, palm out, pushing herself rhythmically off the wall.  Women!  Music!  Love!  Life!  Joy!  Gin fizzes!

The Ramos Gin Fizz

1 ½ oz. Citadelle Gin

½ oz. fresh lemon juice

½ oz. fresh lime juice

1 tsp sugar or ½ oz. Fee Brothers Rock Candy Syrup

1 oz. half and half or cream

3 drops Fee Brothers Orange Flower Water

1 egg white (pasteurized optional)

Place ingredients in a shaker with cracked ice. Shake vigorously for 2-3 minutes. Strain into a chilled Delmonico or short Collins glass. Top off with 1-2 oz. seltzer water.

 

Special thanks go to our sponsors, Gruppo Campari/Skyy, for providing Campari, Wild Turkey Bourbon, and Skyy Vodka, to William Grant & Sons, for providing Hendrick’s Gin and Lillet Blanc, to Cognac Ferrand, for the delicious Citadelle Gin, to Fee Brothers, for their Rock Candy Syrup and Orange Flower Water, and to our friends at Nike Communications, for donating Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth and Martini Sweet Vermouth.

Along with the wonderful volunteers of the Smithsonian Associates we would also like to thank our volunteers Luke Johnson, Dave Lord and Matt Keller for their help in preparing the cocktails.

Hemingway Cocktails Around Town in DC

In February Philip Greene, Co-Founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail, showcased his new book To Have and Have Another – A Hemingway Cocktail Companion around town in Washington, DC. On February 21 Phil presented his book at Union Market where guests were treated to four cocktails featured in the book along with food from local vendors and cocktail demonstrations by Gina Chersevani of Hank’s Oyster Bar (Capitol Hill) and Buffalo & Bergen. On February 28, to raise funds for the DC Public Library Foundation, Phil also showcased his book at the Shaw Public Library.

Philip Greene presents to a sell out audience at Union Market.

Phil’s seminars detailed how his book covers various cocktails that make appearances in Hemingway’s books, “Papa’s” personal favorites, his philosophies and views on a good drink along with some general cocktail history and anecdotes.

At Union Market, Phil showcased the Jack Rose, Americano, the Bailey and the Daiquiri.

Philip Greene presents at the Shaw Public Library.

For the DC Public Library Foundation, Phil showcased the Champagne Cocktail and the Hemingway Gin and Tonic, two simple cocktails that distinguish themselves with the addition of Angostura bitters.  Phil noted that bitters such as Angostura are a great way to “season” cocktails, similar to how chefs use herbs and spices to season food. The Hemingway Gin and Tonic simply takes the standard G&T and adds a couple dashes of Angostura.

Gina Chersevani presents the Americano at Union Market.

Americano

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Martini Italian (sweet) vermouth

1-2 oz. seltzer (to taste)

Add all ingredients to a rocks or highball glass filled with ice. Stir. Garnish with an orange wedge or a lemon twist.

Suggested Reading: “The Good Lion”

Phil signs copies of  To Have and Have Another – A  Hemingway Cocktail Companion at Union Market.

Bailey

1.5 oz. Beefeater 24 London Dry Gin or Plymouth Gin

½ oz. grapefruit juice

½ oz. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. simple syrup (optional)

1 sprig mint

Invented by Hemingway’s friend Gerald Murphy, a fellow American expatriate living in France in the 1920s.  Here are Murphy’s instructions on how to make the drink (from a letter to Alexander Woolcott):

The mint should be put in the shaker first. It should be torn up by the hand as it steeps better. The fin should be added then and allowed to stand a minute or two. Then add the grapefruit juice and then the lime juice. Stir vigorously with ice and do not allow to dilute too much, but serve very cold, with a sprig of mint in each glass.

Champagne Cocktails are readied at Shaw Library.

Champagne Cocktail

4-5 oz. chilled Champagne

1 sugar cube

Angostura bitters

Place a sugar cube at the bottom of a champagne flute. Saturate the cube with Angostura bitters. Slowly fill flute with Champagne.

Suggested Reading: A Farwell to Arms (Chapter 35), The Fifth Column (Act 3, scenes 1 and 4)

Daiquiri (the so-called “E. Henmiway Special,” from the 1937 Floridita cocktail menu)

2 oz Flor de Cana white rum

1 teaspoon grapefruit juice

1 teaspoon Luxardo maraschino liqueur

½ oz fresh lime juice

“Frappe” (chip or crush) some ice, add to shaker, then add remaining ingredients.  Shake well, then pour contents of shaker into a chilled cocktail glass.

Hemingway Gin & Tonic

2 oz. Hendrick’s Gin

4 oz. tonic water

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Fill a tall glass with ice, add ingredients, stir, and garnish with a lime wedge or peel.

Suggested Reading: Islands in the Stream (“Bimini,” Chapter 3), “The Denunciation,” “The Butterfly and the Tank”

Jack Rose

2 oz. Laird’s Applejack

½ oz. fresh lime or lemon juice

¼ oz. grenadine (preferably genuine pomegranate)

Shake well with ice; strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lime or lemon peel.

The Museum wishes to thank our venue hosts, Union Market and Edens Group (especially Courtney Retzky, Richie Brandenburg and Jodie McLean), and the D.C. Library Foundation (Linnea Hegarty and Martha Saccocio).  We would also  like to thank Gina Chersevani, the wonderful staff at Buffalo & Bergen, and our volunteers Luke Johnson, Dave Lord and Matt Keller for their help.

And a very special thanks to our sponsors Campari, Flor de Cana Rum, Hendricks Gin, Laird’s Applejack,  Plymouth Gin, and Beefeater 24 Gin.

To Have and Have Another – A Hemingway Cocktail Companion, Astor Center, NYC

On Friday, December 14 Philip Greene presented a 90-minute seminar in support of his recently-published book, To Have and Have Another – A Hemingway Cocktail Companion.  This sold-out event covered the life and times of the great novelist Ernest Hemingway, focusing especially on the drinks that populated his life, prose, and letters.  Additionally, the attendees all made their own drinks, shaking their own Jack Rose and Hemingway Daiquiri, stirring their own Montgomery Martini, and building their own Americano.

E. Henmiway Special (circa 1937)

2 oz white rum

1 teaspoon grapefruit juice

1 teaspoon maraschino liqueur

½ oz fresh lime juice

 

“Frappe” (chip or crush) some ice, add to shaker, then add remaining ingredients.  Shake well, then pour contents of shaker into a chilled cocktail glass.

Blend well with ice.  Serve in a large chilled goblet.

 

Suggested reading:  Islands in the Stream

But on this night Thomas Hudson had been ashore about four days when he got really drunk.  It had started at noon at the Floridita and he had drunk first with Cuban politicians that had dropped in, nervous for a quick one; with sugar planters and rice planters; with Cuban government functionaries, drinking through their lunch hour; with second and third secretaries of Embassy, shepherding someone to the Floridita; with the inescapable FBI men, pleasant and all trying to look so average, clean-cut-young-American that they stood out as clearly as though they had work a bureau shoulder patch on their white linen or seersucker suits.  He had drunk double frozen daiquiris, the great ones that Constante made, that had no taste of alcohol and felt, as you drank them, the way downhill glacier skiing feels running through powder snow and, after the sixth and eighth, felt like downhill glacier skiing feels when you are running unroped.  Some Navy that he knew came in and he drank with them and then with some of the then-called Hooligan Navy or Coast Guard.  This was getting too near to shop, which he was drinking away from, so he went down to the far end of the bar where the old respectable whores were, the fine old whores that every resident drinker at the Floridita had slept with sometime in the last twenty years, and sat on a stool with and had a club sandwich and drank more double frozens.

Jack Rose

 

Two recipes from which to choose:

 

Traditional recipe:

 

2 oz AppleJack Brandy (such as Laird’s, or Calvados if splurging)

½ oz fresh lime or lemon juice

¼ oz Grenadine (preferably genuine pomegranate)

 

Shake well with ice, strain into chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with twist of lime or lemon peel.

 

Harry MacElhone’s 1920s Paris recipe:

 

1 ½ oz Applejack or Calvados

¾ oz dry gin

¾ oz orange juice

¾ oz fresh lemon or lime juice

1/3 oz French vermouth

1/3 oz Italian vermouth

Grenadine to colour (about 1/3 oz)

 

Shake well with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with twist of lime or lemon peel.  Recipe adapted from Barflies and Cocktails, 1927 edition

 

“At five o’clock I was in the Hotel Crillon, waiting for Brett.  She was not there, so I sat down and wrote some letters.  They were not very good letters but I hoped their being on Crillon stationery would help them.  Brett did not turn up, so about quarter to six I went down to the bar and had a Jack Rose with George the barman. Brett had not been in the bar either, and so I looked for her up-stairs on my way out, and took a taxi to the Café Select. crossing the Seine I saw a string of barges being towed empty down the current, riding high, the bargemen at the sweeps as they came towards the bridge. The river looked nice. It was always pleasant crossing bridges in Paris.” The Sun Also Rises

The Martini

From a letter Hemingway wrote in 1949, use “[j]ust enough vermouth to cover the bottom of the glass, ounce 3/4 of gin, and the Spanish cocktail onions very crisp and also 15 degrees below zero when they go in the glass.”[i]  Translated:

1 ¾ oz dry London style gin (Hemingway preferred 94 proof Gordon’s)

1/8 oz French dry vermouth (Noilly Prat)

 

Stir well in a mixing glass with plenty of ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Garnish with a couple of frozen Spanish cocktail onions, or a chilled garlic onion.  In Cuba, Hemingway sometimes garnished his Martini with thinly sliced onion.

Note:  the 94 proof Gordon’s Gin that Hemingway favored is no longer available in the U.S., however, Tanqueray is similar in style and flavor.

The Grand-Hotel and des Iles Borromees was open and several small hotels that stayed open all the year.  I started in the rain for the Iles Borromees carrying my bag.  I saw a carriage coming down the street and signaled to the driver.  It was better to arrive in a carriage.  We drove up to the carriage entrance of the big hotel and the concierge came out with an umbrella and was very polite.

I took a good room.  It was very big and light and looked out onto the lake.  . . .  The hotel was very luxurious.  I went down the long halls, down the wide stairs, through the rooms to the bar.  I knew the barman and sat on a high stool and ate salted almonds and potato chips.  The martini felt cool and clean.

The sandwiches came and I ate three and drank a couple more martinis.  I had never tasted anything so cool and clean.  They made me feel civilized.  I had had too much red wine, bread, cheese, bad coffee and grappa.  I sat on the high stool before the pleasant mahogany, the brass and the mirrors and did not think at all.  The barman asked me some question. “Don’t talk about the war,” I said. The war was a long way away. Maybe there wasn’t any war. There was no war here. Then I realized it was over for me. But I did not have the feeling that it was really over. I had the feeling of a boy who thinks of what is happening at a certain hour at the schoolhouse from which he has played truant.   A Farewell to Arms

The Americano

1 oz Campari

1 oz Italian (Sweet) Vermouth

1-2 oz seltzer water (to taste)

 

Add all ingredients to a rocks or highball glass filled with ice.  Stir.  Garnish with an orange wedge or a lemon twist.  Enjoy.

 

To mix it up a little, here’s an excerpt from another author’s prose, that of Ian Fleming.  Fleming saw fit to feature the Americano in at least two James Bond stories, this time, From a View to a Kill:

James Bond had his first drink of the evening at Fouquet’s. It was not a solid drink. One cannot drink seriously in French cafés. Out of doors on a pavement in the sun is no place for vodka or whisky or gin. A fine a l’eau is fairly serious, but it intoxicates without tasting very good. A quart de champagne or a champagne à l’orange is all right before luncheon, but in the evening one quart leads to another quart and a bottle of indifferent champagne is a bad foundation for the night. Pernod is possible, but it should be drunk in company, and anyway Bond had never liked the stuff because its liquorice [sic] taste reminded him of his childhood. No, in cafés you have to drink the least offensive of the musical comedy drinks that go with them, and Bond always had the same thing–an Americano–Bitter Campari, Cinzano, a large slice of lemon peel and soda. For the soda he always specified Perrier, for in his opinion expensive soda water was the cheapest way to improve a poor drink.

Philip Greene with a bottle of Campari, making the Americano. Hemingway was introduced to Campari and other bitter aperitifs while in Italy during World War I.

The makings of a perfect Americano. Hemingway adored Perrier, noting in The Garden of Eden that, in the Armagnac and Soda, “the cold Perrier had made the heavy brandy alive.” In Islands in the Stream, “He made himself another drink and thought how much better the Perrier was than anything else you could put in whiskey …”

Making the Montgomery Martini. Hemingway always specified that Noilly Prat be used in his Martinis.

Shaking up the Jack Rose, a drink Hemingway mentioned twice in The Sun Also Rises.

 

The Museum of the American Cocktail would like to thank its sponsors for this evening, namely Perrier, Hendrick’s Gin, Laird’s Applejack, Skyy/Gruppo Campari (which provided the Campari and Flor de Cana Extra Dry Rum) and Beefeater 24 Gin. We also appreciate the support of Nike Communications, which provided the Martini Sweet Vermouth and the Noilly Prat Dry.

MOTAC Hosts 5th Annual Holiday Cocktail Seminar in DC

On December 11 at the Warehouse Theater in Washington, DC, the Museum of the American Cocktail assembled five of DC’s most reputable bartenders to present guests with their own holiday-themed cocktail creations. The evening featured Adam Bernbach, Aris Noble, Bryan Tetorakis, Todd Thrasher and Chantal Tseng. The seminar was led by MOTAC Co-Founder Philip Greene, author of the recently-released To Have and Have Another – A Hemingway Cocktail Companion and Victoria Vergason, author of Capitol Cocktails and owner of The Hour, specializing in the sale of vintage cocktailware in Old Town Alexandria.

From left: Arris Noble, Bryan Tetorakis, Chantal Tseng, Adam Bernbach, Todd Thrasher, Philip Greene and Victoria Vergason. Photo courtesy of Stephen Chapman.

To begin Bryan Tetorakis of Rogue 24 presented “The Machine Gun Blues” consisting of

1.5 oz Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey

1.5 oz. Bonal

Dash Celery Bitters

Dash Apple Bitters

Dash Green Chartreuse

Lemon Peel Garnish

Add ingredients to a mixing glass, stir on ice until well chilled, serve in a cocktail glass with a lemon twist.

The Machine Gun Blues has herbaceous and vegetal flavors balanced well by the sweet Bonal and spicy, caramelized, earthy flavors of the rye with a slight bitterness from the Greeen Chartreuse. A distinguished cocktail.

Bryan Tetorakis stirs “The Machine Gun Blues.” Photo courtesy of Stephen Chapman.

Next came Chantal Tseng of the Tabard Inn with her “Hazelnut Toddy” consisting of:

1.5 oz. Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac

1/4 oz Cointreau

Dash of Lemon and Honey

Hot Honeybush Hazlenut Tea (can be ordered online)

Clove Studded Orange Peel

To make, build spirits in a glass cup, add the honey and lemon and mix. Top off with hot tea and garnish with the clove-studded orange peel.

The vanilla and caramelized flavors of the cognac are a great duet with the nuttiness of the tea brightened by the citrus flavors of the Cointreau, lemon and orange. The hot tea released the aroma of the clove melding the drink into a warming holiday tipple.

Chantal Tseng displays the ingredients for her “Hazelnut Toddy.” Photo Courtesy of Stephen Chapman.

Todd Thrasher of numerous Virginia-based restaurants, all part of the Eat Good Food Group, presented his “Manzanilla Con Manzana” made up of:

1.5 oz Sherry Mix (see below)

1/2 oz Apple Cider

3/4 oz Cardinal Mendoza brandy

3/4 oz Laird’s Applejack

Angostura and Apple Bitters

Build ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice, stir until well chilled, serve in a coupe glass and garnish with apple balls.

With its several layers of apple flavor, this cocktail is quite appropriate for the holiday season. The Sherry Mix adds a seasoned sweetness that when combined with the brandy and applejack produces a well-rounded cocktail full of apple, spice, vanilla and citrus.

For the Sherry Mix:

2 bottles (1500 ml) Hidalgo Manzanilla Sherry

2 Oranges, Peeled

1 Vanilla Bean (Scraped)

1/2 Cup Sugar

Peel the oranges and put the peels on a sheet tray and put in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes or until orange peels start to brown. Put the sherry in a pot and bring to a boil, add the sugar and vanilla bean and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to a low simmer, add orange peels and let simmer for 30 minutes. Strain off and refrigerate.

Todd Thrasher prepares his “Manzanilla Con Manzana.” Photo courtesy of Stephen Chapman.

Adam Bernbach of Proof and Estadio showcased his homage to Christmas with the “Die Hard”-themed cocktail “Harry Ellis” named after the cocaine-snorting, sleazy businessman who attempts to work with terrorists who take over the office, helping them find John McClane, played by Bruce Willis. “Die Hard” takes place right before Christmas.

1.5 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac

Spiced Ginger Soda

Cranberry and Mint Garnish

Build ingredients on ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a sprig of mint and skewered cranberries.

Adam’s cocktail was a super spicy drink combining soda made with fresh pureed ginger. Combined with the cognac and mint the drink wakes up the palate with a sweet and zingy boost of energy. Perfect for negotiating with terrorists at Christmas time.

Adam Bernbach presents his “Die Hard”-themed “Harry Ellis.” Photo courtesy of Stephen Chapman.

Lastly, but certainly not least, Arris Noble of SEI presented his Winter Whiskey Sour:

2 oz Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey

1 oz fresh lemon

1 oz 5 spice syrup (clove, anise, black pepper, allspice and cinnamon – for basic instructions, click here)

1 egg white (preferably fresh)

Dash Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters

Combine ingredients in a shaker and give it a hard “dry shake” with no ice to emulsify the egg white. Once emulsified, add ice and shake vigorously in order to create a foamy texture. Serve in a martini or coupe glass. With the use of the 5 spice syrup this cocktail offers the flavors of the season with a velvety texture from the egg whites and spiciness of the rye with the lemon adding a brightness and clean finish.

Arris Noble displays the ingredients for his “Winter Whiskey Sour.” Photo courtesy of Stephen Chapman.

The Museum of the American Cocktail would like to thank the wonderful people of The Passenger for assisting the bartenders and making the evening flow smoothly. Thanks also to Victoria Vergason for providing her fabulous vintage glasses and barware for use. Many thanks for the great photos by Stephen Chapman who is part of the Eat Good Food Group, and works on digital media for PX and the new bar T.N.T.

And of course, we wouldn’t be able to present these fine cocktails without our sponsors, namely Laird’s Applejack, Cognac FERRAND, Wild Turkey Rye, Chivas Regal, Fee Brothers and Cointreau.

By Matt Keller

Drinking with Hemingway – An Evening With Author Philip Greene

“Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares; if you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars.” –Ernest Hemingway

“When you work hard all day with your head and know you must work again the next day what else can change your ideas and make them run on a different plane like whisky? When you are cold and wet what else can warm you? Before an attack who can say anything that gives you the momentary well being that rum does? I would as soon not eat at night as not to have red wine and water. The only time it isn’t good for you is when you write or when you fight. You have to do that cold. …Modern life, too, is often a mechanical oppression and liquor is the only mechanical relief.”

Letter from Hemingway to Ivan Kashkin, 1935

On November 8 the Smithsonian Associates featured MOTAC Co-Founder Philip Greene and his recently-released book To Have and Have Another: A Hemingway Cocktail Companion. The book has been highly regarded by critics from across the spectrum including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, Imbibe Magazine’s 2012 Holiday Gift Guide, as well as NPR to name just a few. Greene’s work can be best described in its first sentence as “a book about Ernest Hemingway and what he liked to drink, what he wrote about those drinks, and how to make the drinks that he and his characters enjoyed.” Guests were treated to a presentation by Greene highlighting Hemingway’s life, travels, literature and love of drinking which he incorporated into many of his stories such as Island in the Stream, For Whom the Bell Tolls, A Farewell to Arms, and Across the River and Into the Trees, to name a few.

Local DC actor Scott Sedar reads from Hemingway.

Greene’s book features dozens of Hemingway‘s favorite cocktails in alphabetical order, including the Negroni (which he discovered during his time in Italy) and of course the famous Daiquiri (served to him at the Floridita during his time in Cuba). This evening guests were treated to tasting of a Hemingway Martini, Jack Rose, Americano and Gin and Tonic (all recipes below). To accompany the cocktails and Greene’s presentation, guests were treated to readings of Hemingway by DC actor Scott Sedar.

Greene prepares a Hemingway Martini.

Greene pointed out that his book is a celebration of Hemingway’s drinks, his fascinating life, and his compelling manner of writing, in which he used food and drink to add depth to his scenes and characters.  Greene’s book, and the seminar, were not meant to encourage or celebrate excessive drinking. Though history may rumor that he was an alcoholic, Hemingway’s own opinion was that it should be reserved for times of pleasure, after the work was done.  According to biographer Carlos Baker, Hemingway “explained the nights of drinking as a necessary counter force to the daily bouts of writing which left him as whipped, wrung out, and empty as a used dishrag.” It was a “release,” “the irresponsibility that comes after the terrible responsibility of writing.” The book Conversations with Hemingway states that when he was asked if it were true that he took a pitcher of martinis with him every morning on his way to work, Hemingway replied, “Jeezus Christ!…Have you ever heard of anyone who drank while he worked? You’re thinking of Falkner. He does sometimes – and I can tell right in the middle of a page when he’s had his first one. Besides, who in hell would mix more than one martini at a time?”

The Hemingway Martini (found in Across the River and Into the Trees, A Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises, The Garden of Eden, and Islands in the Stream)

Greene’s book explains that Hemingway would freeze ice in tennis ball tubes to assure an ice-cold preparation. Not to diminish the coldness, he would add frozen Spanish cocktail onions, his favorite martini garnish.

1 ¾ oz. London dry gin (we used Plymouth Gin and Beefeater 24)

1/8 oz. French (dry) vermouth (we used Noilly Prat)

Stir well in a mixing glass with plenty of ice; strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a couple of frozen Spanish cocktail onions or a chilled garlic onion. Hemingway sometimes garnished his Martini with a thinly sliced onion.

Jack Rose (found in The Sun Also Rises)

Greene’s book explains that the Jack Rose comes from mysterious origins. Some think it derives its name from its color, others think it was created by “Bald Jack” Rose, a gangster hit man from the early 1900s. Another story has it connected to a flower, the Général Jacqueminot Rose, named after one of Napoleon’s generals, Jean-François Jacqueminot. In another twist, Greene suspects the Jack Rose enjoyed in The Sun Also Rises is nothing like the standard recipe, but rather a version created by Harry MacElhone of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris (one of Hemingway’s haunts when he lived in Paris). But for that recipe, you’ll have to get his book.

2 oz. apple brandy (we used Laird’s Applejack)

½ oz. fresh lime juice or lemon juice

¼ oz. grenadine (we used Fee Brothers American Beauty Grenadine)

Shake well with ice; strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lime or lemon peel.

Americano (Found in “The Good Lion”)

The Americano got its name from American tourists visiting Italy during Prohibition who were big fans the aperitif. Apparently, they had developed a taste for one of its ingredients, Campari, an Italian bitter. Campari was thought to have medicinal value and Americans took advantage of a loophole in Prohibition allowing for it to be prescribed as a form of “medicine” by doctors. Completely unrelated to Hemingway, Greene explains in his book that the Americano is actually the first cocktail to grace the lips of James Bond in Ian Fleming’s first 007 novel Casino Royale. Now there are TWO conversation starters the next time you fix an Americano for your guests!

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Italian (sweet) vermouth (we used Martini brand vermouth)

1-2 oz. Perrier (to taste)

Add all ingredients to a rocks or highball glass filled with ice. Stir. Garnish with an orange wedge or a lemon twist.

The Hemingway Gin and Tonic (found in “Islands in the Stream” and “The Denunciation”)

Quinine, which gives tonic water its distinctive flavor, was thought to help battle malaria and yellow fever. Greene’s book explains that “in India, British subjects would add a dose of quinine to their gin. This combination became popular in warm-weather climes, where such illnesses were common.” The addition of Angostura bitters gives the G&T a red tint, adding a bit of spice and a light, almost berry-like flavor as it interacts with the sweet tonic.

2 oz. London dry gin (we used Hendrick’s)

4 oz. tonic water

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Fill a tall glass with ice, add ingredients, stir, and garnish with a lime wedge or peel.

MOTAC wishes to thank the generosity of our sponsors, namely, Laird’s, Fee Brothers, Plymouth Gin, Beefeater 24 Gin, Hendrick’s Gin, Campari, Perrier, as well as our friends at Nike Communications, for providing Noilly Prat and Martini vermouth.

We would also like to thank Ruth Robbins, Program Coordinator of the Smithsonian Associates, as well as Scott Sedar for his dramatic readings. Additional thanks to Luke Johnson and Matt Keller for tending the event’s bar.  Thanks also to the great Smithsonian Associates volunteers!