Like the julep, this delicious potation is an American invention, although it is now a favorite in all warm climates. The "cobbler" does not require much skill in compounding, but to make it acceptable to the eye, as well as to the palate, it is necessary to display some taste in ornamenting the glass after the beverage is made. We give an illustration showing how a cobbler should look when make to suit an epicure. ~Jerry Thomas, How to Mix Drinks. 1862.
2 oz sweet vermouth (Carpano Antica)
1 barspoon sugar
1 orange slice
Shake with ice; garnish with berries in-season.
I met up with my friends John and Amy at Cure last week, and settled in for a night of tasting. I had had in mind for a few days the desire to experiment with low-proof concoctions, mostly using a wine or fortified wine base. Champagne cocktails, sherry cobblers, vermouth cocktails, and the like was what I was thinking. I asked Kirk to make me a drink from Jerry Thomas, and, without knowing the above considerations, made me a vermouth cobbler. As you can see, he clearly takes Professor Thomas's statement about ornamentation seriously. The Carpano's rich herbal tones made this a much more complex drink than it would have been with a more typical sweet vermouth. What's even better, after I had this drink, I didn't feel a thing. I went on to drink two flips and a champagne cocktail with virtually no ill effects. Cheers to new discoveries that let you drink all night without becoming an embarrassment!
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