The Fogcutter (Trader Vic’s)

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

Having just received my Fee Brothers Orgeat Syrup I decided to try The Fogcutter again, using the recipe from Trader Vic’s:

  • 2.0 ounces light Puerto Rican rum
  • 0.5 ounce gin
  • 1.0 ounce brandy
  • 1.0 ounce orange juice
  • 2.0 ounces lemon juice
  • 0.5 ounce orgeat syrup
  • 0.5 ounce sherry

Shake with cube ice, strain into a glass, and fill with crushed ice.

First off, this is a huge cocktail. Most of the cocktails I’ve been making have around one and a half to two ounces of spirit. This has close to four. I had to change the glass I was planning to serve this in to leave room for ice.

Trader Vic’s had a reputation as being at the apex of the “tiki” tradition, and after drinking this I can see why. I followed the suggestion and cut the lemon juice to 1.5 ounces and the drink was a nice mix of sweet and tart. I did like it better than the Tony Ramos Fogcutter presented earlier, but the book does feature yet another Fogcutter attributed to Don the Beachcomber. It is the same recipe as above but with specific ingredients requested: Barcardi Gold Rum, Pisco Brandy and Plymouth gin. Once I acquire these things I’ll give it another go.

Rating: 4/5

Notes: I used Bacardi white rum, Hendrick’s gin and for the brandy I used Rémy Martin.

Back Porch Lemonade

Tarus Moonshine, Stars - 5

This is another favorite of mine from bluezoo, and thanks to Chad Lobner I’m able to share the recipe for Back Porch Lemonade:

Muddle the lemons and add rest of ingredients. Shake and strain over a crushed ice filled mason jar rimmed with sugar.

Moonshine is a spirit made from corn that is popular in the Appalachian region of North Carolina, which is near where I live. While North Carolina doesn’t really have the whiskey tradition of Tennessee or Kentucky, we do take our moonshine seriously. I grew up in a “dry county” – one in which it was illegal to sell alcohol – but there were always places people “in the know” could go to find “white liquor”. Quite frequently it was sold in the same jars used for canning, normally made by Mason or Ball.

In most libraries, including the ones in schools, you could find a copy of the original Foxfire Book that included, among other things, instructions on making moonshine. Recently there has been a renaissance in moonshine, led by Troy and Sons distillery in Asheville.

Moonshine can be used in place of tequila for a lot of things, but this is the first cocktail recipe I came across that called for it specifically. There are also aged moonshines that are fine to drink straight.

This is an easy drink to make if you have the ingredients on hand. For those of you who don’t know, “muddle” is a technical term that means “smoosh with a wooden spoon,” although many fancy-pants bartenders have a special muddler.

I love this cocktail. Sweet and sour and refreshing and soothing – it’s a great drink and nearly perfect when it is hot outside. At bluezoo they make a sugar rim that includes black pepper and ginger, but I don’t know how to make that so I just use regular sugar.

Rating: 5/5

The Moscow Mule

Tarus Stars - 3, Vodka

For a recent party I bought some spicy Jamaican-style ginger ale, so I thought it was time to try The Moscow Mule:

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • Ginger beer or ginger ale

Squeeze lime juice into a Moscow Mule mug. Drop the spent lime shell into the mug. Add ice cubes and the vodka, then fill with ginger beer.

Almost every time we go to the Oak Leaf for lunch, my friend Ben gets a Moscow Mule. I thought it was because he really likes them, but at the party he told me it was because they are usually on special. (grin)

This is my first cocktail to feature vodka. Vodka is not used much in vintage cocktails. In the US it was mainly consumed by Eastern European immigrants (I am descended from one) who drank it straight. Vodka is not aged, so after the supply of aged spirits dwindled after Prohibition, it became popular since it was easier to produce quickly, compared to, say, scotch. This drink is one that popularized vodka, and according to the book, its creation was a little serendipitous.

Traditionally, the drink is served in a copper cup. It was invented at the Cock and Bull Tavern in Los Angeles, and the owner, Jack Morgan, had a girlfriend who had inherited a business that made copper goods. He was also saddled with a large amount of ginger beer that he didn’t know what to do with, and the rest is history.

One reason I don’t care for vodka in cocktails is that it tends not to have a taste of its own. It’s great if you want an alcoholic drink where you can’t taste the alcohol, but for me that’s kind of the point.

The drink is technically a highball: ice, spirit and sparkling mixer. Substitute the vodka for scotch and you have a Mamie Taylor. Switch the vodka for rum and the ginger ale for Coke and you have a Cuba Libre. I love how making one small change allows you to rename almost any cocktail.

I wasn’t expecting to like this drink, but I did. It isn’t something I would seek out on a wintry evening, but in the summer I think it could easily replace my go-to Gin and Tonic. It was invented for hot Los Angeles after all.

Rating: 3/5

Notes: I used Stolichnaya vodka and Reed’s ginger ale. I think Smirnoff would be more authentic, but I only had 100-proof and didn’t feel like using it in this drink.

Ginger Syrup

Tarus Ingredients

Simple syrups are usually just equal parts sugar and water, plus something to flavor it. Ginger syrup is pretty much the same, but its preparation is a little different.

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 cups water
  • ginger, peeled and cut into chunks

Combine sugar and water and simmer until the sugar dissolved and the liquid becomes clear. Add the ginger and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced down to a third. Strain.

Reducing the liquid allows it to absorb the flavor of the ginger.

The Fogcutter

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

Dr. Cocktail lists only a single vintage recipe that uses sour mix, and since I had some on hand I decided to try The Fogcutter:

  • 1.0 ounce white rum
  • 0.5 ounce gin
  • 0.5 ounce brandy
  • 0.5 ounce Sour Mix
  • Two dashes simple syrup

Combine with ice and blend. Pour into goblet. Add a float of cherry-flavored brandy on top.

This drink had a lot of firsts for me. It was my first cocktail to feature rum. It was the first cocktail to be blended. It as also my first cocktail in the “tiki” tradition made famous by Trader Vic’s.

The book states that while this drink is attributed to Trader Vic’s, the legendary bartender (not actor) Tony Ramos claims it was the signature drink at “Edna Fogcutter’s” in Hollywood. There are a number of recipes out there and I found a good comparison of them that rates the one from Trader Vic’s higher than the one presented here. I plan to try that version in the future, but as my stated goal is to make every recipe in the book I wanted to start with this one.

I thought it would be much sweeter than it was. There is also some confusion as to how to serve it. I blended it with about a 3/4 cup of ice and just poured that into a margarita glass. The comparison article states it should be served over ice, but I think that would not work for this recipe. Overall it was a good cocktail, but not something I would seek out. The cherry brandy float does add a lot to the drink, and I actually liked it better once it had melted a bit.

Rating: 3/5

Notes: When dealing with small amounts of plain simple syrup, I tend to substitute agave nectar. I am also just learning about rum, so I used the Bacardi that I had on hand, and I have plans to acquire more specialized brands soon (my friend Tom suggested an article to help). For the gin I went with Bombay Sapphire since I want to finish that bottle to make room (the bar is getting crowded) and I have a spare. For the brandy I used Rémy Martin. The cherry brandy was Heering.

Harvest Rye

Tarus Rye, Stars - 5

When the year end holidays roll around, I start to look forward to the Harvest Rye cocktail:

Shake the first three ingredients in an iced shaker and pour into a cocktail glass. Top with cider foam and fresh nutmeg.

My first trip to the bluezoo restaurant at Walt Disney World in Orlando was formative in my desire to make cocktails. Not only do they revive vintage cocktails, they make a number of delicious new ones. When I first had this one, it was so new it didn’t even have a name. Chad Lobner, the General Manager, was kind enough to share some of their recipes with me. He works hard at trying to preserve the spirit behind the classics but adding new twists such as as the use of infusions, gels and foams.

This is definitely the most complex drink I’ve posted so far. While easy to prepare once you have all the ingredients, preparing those can take some time.

But, oh, is it so worth it. At a recent party I couldn’t make them fast enough – even when shaking them two at a time.

One more note: if you have a jar of powdered nutmeg in your house, throw it out. Buy whole nutmeg and a microplane rasp. You won’t be sorry.

Rating: 5/5

Cider Foam

Tarus Ingredients

One concept that is definitely associated more with modern mixology than vintage is the use of foams. This is a recipe for an apple cider foam:

  • 8 ounces apple cider
  • 3-4 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 sheet gelatin

Simmer the cider and cinnamon sticks until liquid is reduced by half. Meanwhile, rehydrate a sheet of gelatin. Off heat, remove the cinnamon sticks and add the gelatin sheet. Pour into an iSi whipper and chill for at least 4 hours.

I was impossible for me to find sheet gelatin locally, but it is a must for this recipe. The advantage is that you can easily rehydrate it in a bath of cold water, and it won’t have the potential to be grainy like powder.

The other thing you have to have is an iSi whipper. Yes, it is spendy but it is built well enough to last a really long time. They are also easy to use. Simply fill, chill, load, shake and spray. You can also get home versions that are cheaper.

Apple Shrub

Tarus Ingredients

A shrub is an acidulated beverage made of fruit juice, sugar, and other ingredients. It is both sweet and tart. I needed an apple shrub for a recipe and was given this one:

  • 8 ounces of Granny Smith apples
  • 8 ounces of brown sugar
  • 8 ounces of apple cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a container and let sit for 24 hours or more. Or simmer on the stovetop until flavors are blended.

I don’t think the proportions are hugely important (i.e. you can increase or decrease them a bit to taste).

As usual, I was running behind so I decided to simmer mine. I found another recipe that used white sugar and red apples that suggested you shred the apples, which I did as well. I also added some cinnamon and fresh nutmeg.

Hint: if you are expecting house guests, you might not want to prepare this just before they arrive. The vinegar can be very aromatic, and not in a good way (grin).

Sour Mix

Tarus Ingredients

Sour mix is such an overused cocktail ingredient that the Vintage Cocktail book expressly states it won’t be used (but one exception is The Fogcutter). However, homemade sour mix is much different than the sickly sweet stuff you usually get in a bar, so here is the recipe I use:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup fresh lime juice

Make a simple syrup with the water and sugar. Off heat stir in the lemon and lime juices

This is basically a simple syrup (one part water, one part sugar) to which fresh citrus juice is added. I stir the sugar and water until the sugar is fully dissolved and the liquid turns clear. To make juicing easier I purchased an inexpensive juicer that, while loud, works well, especially for the price.

Palm Beach Special

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

In our house we almost always have a grapefruit. It’s odd, because while we eat grapefruit we don’t do so very often, and since we always have one sometimes it hangs around past its prime. Thus we refer to it as the “sacrificial” grapefruit.

Due to this new hobby, I tend to have a lot of fresh citrus on hand and I recently bought a new grapefruit to sacrifice. However this time it was to the cocktail gods. Of the four recipes on the list that use grapefruit juice, the one I was most in the mood for was the Palm Beach Special:

  • 2.50 ounces gin
  • 0.75 ounce grapefruit juice
  • 0.50 ounce sweet vermouth

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

There was a time I didn’t like gin. Its strong herbal nature reminded me more of rubbing alcohol than drinking alcohol. One time I was with my friends Demetri and Cat in Chicago and we were at the, now sadly closed, asian-fusion restaurant called Vongs. There was a wait and the bar was three people deep, so to make things simple I just asked Demetri to get me whatever he was having, which turned out to be a martini made with Bombay Sapphire gin. I loved it.

Currently in the house I have three gins (that I know of, the bar is a little crowded at the moment) which are Bombay Sapphire, Hendrick’s and a dusty bottle of Tanqueray. For some reason I decided to make this drink with the Tanqueray. The author uses Plymouth which is on my list to acquire.

It was good, but since it is such a gin-heavy drink the medicinal nature of the Tanqueray added a slightly unpleasant finish. It’s not a very sweet cocktail, but the flavors are nicely balanced and I nailed the color (looked just like the one in the book). I thought it was “good” but might be great paired with the right gin.

Rating: 3/5

Notes: Tanquery gin, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth.