Honeysuckle

It contains honey, so why not call it the Honeysuckle::

• 2.00 ounces Flor de Caña Extra-Dry White Rum
• 0.75 lime juice
• 0.75 ounce Acacia Honey Syrup Shake all the ingredients with ice, the strain into a coupe. Garnish with a lime wedge.

I live in North Carolina, USA, where liquor sales are strictly regulated. This is both a source of frustration for me as a vintage cocktail enthusiast as well as a fun challenge. I was finally able to find the rum called for in this drink in Minnesota (the aged or golden Flor de Caña is easy to find but this one is much more difficult).

Philadelphia Fish House Punch (Original Version)

The Original Philadelphia Fish House Punch:

• 0.33 pint lemon juice
• 0.75 pound sugar
• 1.00 pint mixture*
• 2.50 pints cold water

For the mixture:

• 0.25 pint real peach brandy
• 0.50 pint cognac
• 0.25 pint Jamaican rum Stir together in a bowl with ice.

People who like cocktails seem to hold punches in high regard. Heck, there is even an entire book dedicated to them.

I’m a fan, and I kind of wish there was a place near me that still carried on the punch tradition. In the earliest days of cocktails you were not likely to get a made to order drink for yourself. Instead, you would be served a drink out of a communal punch bowl. I’ve been to one place, the Rum Club in Portland, that still does that but it is rare.

Cuba Libré

In honor of Obama’s visit, here’s the Cuba Libré:

• 2 ounces rum (Cuban preferred)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Coca-Cola

In an iced highball glass, combine the rum and lime juice. Fill with Coca-Cola. Garnish with a lime wedge.

No, this isn’t “Rum and Coke”. Rum and Coke was one of the first cocktails I ever had as rum was cheap and easy to find, and Coke was everywhere. But as Dr. Cocktail points out in his book, the lime juice changes everything, and he’s right.

Navy Grog (The Ancient Mariner)

There may not be nary a drop of water to drink, so try The Ancient Mariner:

• 1.00 ounce Demerara rum (not the 151-proof kind)
• 1.00 ounce dark Jamaican rum (Coruba)
• 0.75 ounce fresh lime juice
• 0.50 ounce grapefruit juice
• 0.50 ounce simple syrup
• 0.25 ounce Allspice Dram

Build in a double old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.

Ah, Tiki drinks. How I love ’em. And this one features Allspice Dram, the key ingredient in another favorite cocktail of mine, The Lion’s Tail.

Saint Croix Rum Fix

The fix is in. Well, the Saint Croix Rum Fix:

• 2.0 ounce Virgin Islands Rum (Cruzan Estate Dark Rum recommended)
• 0.5 ounce pineapple syrup
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 teaspoons sugar or simple syrup

In a tumbler or large wineglass, combine the ingredients. Stir until dissolved. Pack crushed ice into the glass and garnish with seasonal fruit. Serve with a straw.

I am still searching for someone to definitively help me with some classic cocktail terms. For example, I have no idea about what really defines a Fizz, or a Sling, nor a Rickey or a Collins, or a Julep or a Swizzle.

The Soother

Aptly named, it’s The Soother:

• 1.0 ounce cognac
• 1.0 ounce Jamaican rum (Coruba recommended)
• 0.5 ounce orange curaçao
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon apple juice
• 1/2 teaspoon simply syrup (or Agave Nectar)

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

There is a lot going on in this drink. It’s listed in a book called Old Waldorf Bar Days from 1931, but it wasn’t listed in the cocktail section but instead in one called “Fancy Potations & Otherwise”. In any case, it is tasty.

Curaçao Punch

A old one from 1882, it’s Curaçao Punch:

• 0.5 tablespoon sugar (alter to taste)
• 2 or 3 dashes of fresh lemon juice
• 1.0 ounce soda water
• 1.0 ounce brandy (Martell cognac specified)
• 2.0 ounces orange curaçao
• 1.0 ounce Jamaican rum (full-bodied specified)

In a bar glass or goblet, combine the sugar, lemon juice, and soda water. Dissolve the sugar, and fill a glass with finely shaved or thoroughly crushed ice. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir well, and ornament as Liberace might with all the fruit at your disposal.

Continue reading