Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail

Tarus Rum, Stars - 4

A rum drink with a long name, it’s the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail:

  • 2.00 ounces Barbados Rum
  • 0.75 ounce lime juice
  • 2 dashes Cointreau
  • 2 teaspoons Falernum

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass.

Just like gin and lemon are meant for each other, a similar thing can be said for rum and lime.

The big addition to the Royal Bermuda is Falernum. Falernum is a sweet syrup that has a slightly spicy flavor, but nothing like the Allspice Dram in drinks like the Lion’s Tail. It’s named after a British club established in 1844.

This drink is kind of a proto-Tiki drink but it isn’t as strong nor as complex later drinks would be. It’s tasty.

Rating: 4/5

Notes: This drink calls specifically for Barbados Rum. My friend Justin the cocktail chef uses Mount Gay as his go-to rum, so that I what I used here. The Falernum comes from Fee Brothers.

Milk Punch

Tarus Brandy/Vermouth/Wine, Milk/Cream, Rum, Stars - 3

Milk in a cocktail? It’s key in Milk Punch:

  • 1.0 ounce brandy
  • 0.5 ounce dark rum
  • 2 teaspoons simple syrup
  • 2 dashes vanilla extract
  • 4.0 ounces whole milk

Shake the ingredients all together in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Strain into a tumbler half full of shaved ice (Shaved ice was more like snow than crushed ice, but if you pound your ice to smithereens, it’ll be similar enough). Grate or shake some nutmeg on top.

Okay, I have a ton of stuff to write about this cocktail, most of which has nothing to do with the drink.

First, I suffer from mild OCD and the reason I made it was that it completed the middle column of drinks in the index. That one missing link was bothering me.

Second, this isn’t the first cocktail I’ve made with milk. I’m about to share with you a secret recipe from my misspent youth. When I was in college my friend Joe and I used to make Destroyers. This was a blender drink that was tasty, powerful and cheap.

Go to the store and buy some limeade concentrate (not lemonade). You want the small cans, I think they are six ounces but might be eight. Run it under water until it thaws just enough so that it will come out of the can. Plop that into a blender. Fill the now empty can with vodka – non-flavored but any brand will do. Next, fill the can just past halfway with milk. Yes, milk. Fill the rest of the blender with ice, and blend.

I’m certain my adult palate would not care for these, but we drank a lot of them in school.

The reason I bring up Joe is that after one rather large Destroyer party (we bought limeade by the case and burned out more than a few blenders back then) he decided to walk a young lady home across campus. On his way back he was walking through a parking lot, and for some reason decided to see how many students left their cars unlocked. Turns out it was more than you would expect. Then, it dawned on him to wonder what would people keep in their cars if they left them unlocked.

At this point he hasn’t really committed a crime. That happened when he started keeping souvenirs from his explorations. We not talking stereos. More things like a tube of Mr. Zog’s Sex Wax.

Anyway, campus security came rolling through so he decided it was time to hide. Due to his “destroyed” state he thought if he can’t see them, they can’t see him, so his hiding place under a truck was given away by his feet sticking out.

When they found him, he didn’t have his student ID with him and when he tried to give them my name, they couldn’t find me (I had not yet registered my car and I’m not sure he was pronouncing it clearly to begin with). So they called the real police and he went to jail.

I found out about it the next morning and we got together and raised bail. He went to court and got community service, but from then on we’d only serve Destroyers with the warning “Use a blender, go to prison”.

True story.

Now, back to this cocktail. I made it and served it to Andrea, who went “Ugh, this is gross. Make me a Pink Lady“. I actually liked it more than I thought I would.

The key lies in the ice. You really do want very fine ice – think snow or at least snow cone. I took crushed ice from the refrigerator and stuck it in the food processor, but I don’t think I got it fine enough. If the ice were fine, I think this drink would have more the consistency of a milk shake, and in fact I might add brandy and rum to my next vanilla milk shake, purely in the interest of science of course.

You do want to use larger cubes in the initial step as the milk will foam up and then it is hard to strain. Use whole milk as directed – we’re going for a certain texture here and that 2% crap won’t cut it.

This is supposed to be a morning libation and I think it would go really well with waffles, or better yet, fresh Cafe du Monde beignets.

Rating: 3/5 – this was a strong 3 and might be a 4 with some tweaking.

Notes: I used Myers’s Dark Rum and Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac. The latter was a birthday present from my friend Jeff and is used in a lot of Death & Co. recipes. To my knowledge it is unavailable in North Carolina. The vanilla is from Mexico – I love Mexican vanilla and implore my friends to bring some back for me whenever they go there.

The Bebbo Cocktail

Tarus Gin, Stars - 5

Named funny and made with honey, it’s The Bebbo Cocktail:

  • 1.5 ounces gin
  • 1.0 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 0.5 ounce honey
  • 2.0 teaspoons orange juice

Stir all the ingredients (except ice) together in a cocktail shaker until the honey dissolves. Add ice, shake, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry.

This drink is supposedly similar to the Bee’s Knees cocktail, but instead of the Bebbo they should have called it the Cat’s Pajamas – it’s that good.

The main difference is that the Bebbo adds a bit of orange juice. Since they are in season, I used fresh blood orange juice that turned the cocktail a delightful shade of pink. After one sip I knew I’d be making a second and passing this one on to Andrea (I always like to give her the prettier glass).

This drink was truly a gift, and I mean that literally. The honey, which came in that lovely one pound glass bottle, was a gift to Andrea from a place called Vintage Bees. Only eight bottles were made of the raw honey. Honey and cocktails should go together since one thing I like about my cocktail hobby is that, with the exception of wine-based ingredients like vermouth, spirits don’t go bad over time and neither does honey.

One trick to making this drink is to heat the honey a little before mixing. I used the microwave, and it is one of my pet peeves that people rarely use the power settings on a microwave oven. I ran about a tablespoon for 60 seconds on a power level of 3, which meant for 70% of that minute there was no heating. It lets the heat from the excited water molecules spread throughout the liquid without causing it to break down.

The gin was also a gift for my birthday from my friend Joyce. I’m not sure where she got it, but it doesn’t look like it is normally available in North Carolina. Sacred Gin in made in London, and one article I found referred to it as the “Breaking Bad” of gin, since while it uses an old recipe it relies on modern chemistry techniques for its production. It’s very nice, and it was a perfect and thoughtful present. Obscure bottles of good booze are always welcome.

Rating: 5/5

The Blue Moon

Tarus Gin, Liqueurs, Stars - 4

Having scored some real Creme de Violette, I made The Blue Moon:

  • 2.0 ounces gin
  • 0.5 ounce Crème Yvette or crème de violette
  • 0.5 ounce lemon juice

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

I managed to find some Crème Yvette earlier in this experiment, and I used it in the Aviation. While the taste was fine, I didn’t care for the color. It’s “purple” as in “has a lot of red in it”, versus violet. So when my friend Justin managed to find a source for crème de violette, I was in.

In the book, the Aviation does not have either Crème Yvette or crème de violette, but since the name invokes sky blue most recipes include it. The Blue Moon is just an Aviation without maraschino liqueur, or with crème de violette in place of it, depending on how you like to make that drink.

Gin and lemon is a winner any day, and the addition of the floral and slightly sweet crème de violette elevates the taste even more and give the drink a dazzling violet color. It is very nice, and I’m not sure I have a preference to this drink or the Aviation made with the addition of the cherry liqueur.

Rating: 4/5

Notes: Although Tanqueray is the gin of choice for many classic bartenders, I’m not a big fan of it. However, it works well in this drink. The crème de violette comes from Rothman & Winter. Dr. Cocktail thanks Eric Seed for this in the book, as Rothman & Winter is part of Haus Alpens.

Barbara West Cocktail

Tarus Brandy/Vermouth/Wine, Gin, Stars - 3

Want a sherry-based martini? Try the Barbara West Cocktail:

  • 2.0 ounces gin
  • 1.0 ounce sherry
  • 0.5 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 small dash Angostura bitters

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass.

I have no idea why this drink is named what it is. There was a famous Titanic survivor named Barbara West as well as a TV news anchor, but I think the latter Babs would be too young to have inspired a vintage cocktail.

The Good Doctor explains that this is the same as a Creole Cocktail but with bitters, and if you mix the gin and sherry in 4:1 proportions you get Gordon’s Cocktail. I wasn’t able to find outside confirmation on either of those, however,

It was good, but I think I would have rather had a more traditional martini, and I’m also not much of a martini drinker. With the gin the flavor was reminiscent of that drink but the sherry adds some depth that makes it distinctive.

Rating: 3/5

Notes: I went with Broker’s Gin, which is one of my favorites. The recipe recommended an Amontillado sherry (which I can’t see without thinking of Edgar Allen Poe) so I used a Lustau I had on hand.

The Alamagoozlum Cocktail

Tarus Gin, Liqueurs, Rum, Stars - 3

The first cocktail recipe in the book is the Alamagoozlum Cocktail:

  • 0.5 egg white
  • 2.0 ounces genever gin
  • 2.0 ounces water
  • 1.5 ounces Jamaican rum
  • 1.5 ounces yellow or green Chartreuse
  • 1.5 ounces gomme syrup
  • 0.5 ounce orange curaçao
  • 0.5 ounce Angostura bitters

Shake very, very hard and long in a large iced cocktail shaker and serve tremulously into several previously chilled cocktail glasses.

This is an odd one, and I find it ironic that this cocktail managed to come first in the book, as it perfectly illustrates what a vintage and forgotten cocktail should be. It contains a number of obscure ingredients, which took me some time to assemble. Then I had to wait until I had two other friends around who wanted to try it, ’cause the recipe makes enough for three glasses.

I liked the drink but I doubt I would seek it out. It is spicy, I think mainly due to the large amount of bitters involved. I really enjoyed the “mouthfeel” of the drink. The egg and the gomme syrup combine for a luxurious silky feeling as you drink it.

Rating: 3/5

Notes: Lots of notes for this one. The only “genever” style gin I own is the Anchor Genevieve Gin that is one of the more expensive bottles I’ve purchased for this experiment and my least favorite. I don’t know why I don’t like this gin, but my friend Frank summed it up, after a sip, with “Hrm, tastes like bacon”. Instead I used Hayman’s Old Tom, which is a gin somewhat between genever-style and London dry. I think it worked out fine. The Jamaican rum I used was Appleton’s Estate. I used authentic green Chartreuse. The gomme syrup was from Liber & Co. and the curaçao was Senior Curaçao.

The Mother-In-Law Cocktail

Tarus Bourbon, Liqueurs, Stars - 4

Like bourbon? Have friends who like bourbon? Try the Mother-in-Law Cocktail:

  • 1.0 teaspoon Peychaud’s bitters
  • 1.0 teaspoon Angostura bitters
  • 1.0 teaspoon Amer Picon (subsitute Torani Amer)
  • 0.5 ounce orange curaçao
  • 0.5 maraschino liqueur
  • 0.5 ounce simple syrup
  • 0.5 ounce maraschino liqueur
  • 9.0 ounces bourbon

Shake in an iced cocktail shaker, and strain into three cocktail glasses.

This is a great drink, but at over three ounces of spirit in each drink, you need friends (real ones, not imaginary) and it helps if they like bourbon.

According to Dr. Cocktail, this is one of two recipes (the other is the Seelbach Cocktail) that were truly forgotten. It apparently comes from a recipe inherited by a woman from her mother-in-law just before WWI, hence the name.

I really liked this drink. It reminded me of other bourbon heavy cocktails such as the Manhattan or the Brooklyn (or even Life is Beautiful) but it was unique. It would probably be possible to cut the drink by a third but it works well with the given proportions.

Rating: 4/5

Notes: My cocktail bourbon leans toward Maker’s 46. I used Senior Curaçao curaçao and Luxardo maraschino liqueur. I used my homemade Amer Picon.

Crimean Cup à la Marmora

Tarus Brandy/Vermouth/Wine, Liqueurs, Rum, Stars - 5

A big punch with a big name is the Crimean Cup à la Marmora:

  • 2.0 broad slices of lemon peel
  • 1.0 teaspoon sugar
  • 0.5 ounce dark Jamaican rum (Myers’s works well)
  • 1.0 ounce brandy
  • 0.5 maraschino liqueur
  • 0.5 ounce Jamaican rum
  • 2.0 ounces orgeat syrup
  • 0.5 lemon juice
  • 4.0 ounces soda water
  • 3.0 ounces chilled champagne

In a mixing glass, muddle the lemon peel with the sugar and the dark rum. Add remaining ingredients except the champagne, stir vigorously, and pour into 2 goblets with 2 or 3 large lumps of ice. Divide the champagne between the goblets.

This is one of the more complex drinks I’ve made, but it was really worth it. I like punches, but the last one I made, the Fish House Punch, required about 20 of my friends to help me drink it. This one makes enough for two, since a drink this good you will want to share (even if your friends are imaginary).

It’s fruity, fizzy and fun, especially since you really do feel like a cocktail “chef” putting it together. It’s also not nearly as strong as the Fish House Punch, so it makes a much nicer casual drink. And since we are nothing but educational on this blog, the cocktail was named after Alfonso Ferrero La Marmora, a hero of the Crimean War.

Rating: 5/5

Notes: I know you can make your own orgeat syrup, but I went with Fee Brothers. I used the recommended Myers’s rum as will as some Appleton Estate. Luxardo is my go-to maraschino liqueur. Since this is “vintage” I went with the Pierre Ferrand 1840 for the brandy. The Champagne was a non-vintage Demilly de Baere Cuvee Carte d’Or Brut that I had received as a gift.

French 95

Tarus Bourbon, Brandy/Vermouth/Wine, Stars - 5

The nicest thing to happen between France and the US since the Statue of Liberty – the French 95:

  • 2.00 ounces Buffalo Trace bourbon
  • 0.75 ounce lemon juice
  • 0.50 ounce cane sugar syrup
  • Dry champagne

Short shake all the ingredients (except the champagne) with three ice cubes, then strain into a fizz glass with two ice cubes. Top with champagne. No garnish.

I came across this recipe in the Death & Co. book when I was making the French 75 for a New Year’s party. I have a friend who really likes bourbon so I decided to make this for him.

I’m not sure why they jumped from 75 to 95 when naming it, but combining bourbon and champagne is a wonderful marriage. This is kind of like the Collins family of drinks with champagne added for fizz instead of soda.

Rating: 5/5.

Notes: I went with Buffalo Trace bourbon as that was the brand recommended by Death & Co. The Champagne was a non-vintage Demilly de Baere Cuvee Carte d’Or Brut that I had received as a gift.

The French 75

Tarus Brandy/Vermouth/Wine, Gin, Stars - 4

It’s time for champagne, and that means the French 75:

  • 2 ounces gin
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons sugar or 1 teaspoon simple syrup
  • champagne

Shake all but the champagne in an iced cocktail shaker. Pour into a tall glass (a collins glass, a zombie glass or a champagne flute will do – the latter preferred). Top with champagne. Stir gently and garnish with a long, thin lemon spiral and a cocktail cherry.

As far as vintage cocktails go, this one is making a comeback. I’ve seen it in numerous bars, even at an airport bar in Dublin. The reason is simple: it’s a great drink.

The French 75 is named after a 75mm field gun used heavily in World War I. The drink was invented in Paris, and some versions substitute brandy for the gin to make it more “French”.

I really liked this drink. I like champagne but I don’t seek it out, and the addition of the gin and lemon both adds kick and mellows out the drink which makes the whole thing more palatable.

This drink is also in the Death & Co. book. Their recipe is slightly different:

  • 1.50 ounces Plymouth Gin
  • 0.75 ounce lemon juice
  • 0.50 ounce cane sugar syrup
  • Dry champagne

Shake the ingredients (except the champagne) with ice, then double strain into a flute. Top with champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

Rating: 4/5. On another night this might have managed a 5 but as I made a number of cocktails that evening, some which were better, I’m going to rate it a 4.

Notes: I went with Plymouth Gin as that was the brand recommended by Death & Co. The Champagne was a non-vintage Demilly de Baere Cuvee Carte d’Or Brut that I had received as a gift.