Coffee anyone?

Some time ago, I asked Rhiannon to surprise me with something old she's been thinking about, and she delivered the Coffee Cocktail which was first described in Jerry Thomas's work of 1882.

2 oz ruby port
1 oz brandy
1 egg yolk
2 tsp sugar syrup
1 dash curacao
 
Shake egg yolk and syrup; then add other ingredients and shake again with a few pieces of ice.  Strain into a glass mug, and grate fresh nutmeg on top.

This is a venerable old drink which, not surprisingly (considering the name), has a hint of coffee flavor.   Drink this after dinner, particularly in the winter.

Hot Toddy

Well, folks, chilly weather has set in (at least for the time being) in New Orleans, and, on cue, I caught a cold.  It's really just that I have a sore throat, a stuffy nose, and a headache; otherwise, I feel perfectly healthy.  So I have taken this opportunity to treat myself to a classic old remedy, a Hot Toddy. 


2 oz single malt Scotch
3.5 oz boiling water
1 cube (tsp) demarara sugar
lemon peel


Muddle the sugar and lemon peel in the bottom of an earthenware mug.  Add boiling water and stir to dissolve sugar.  Add Scotch and stir.

I know, this is technically a Scotch Skin since I added the lemon peel.  This is an old favorite of my grandmother (whose recipe used blended Scotch, hot tea, and honey) and my mother (who uses rum, hot tea, and honey).  What a soothing, warming drink!  The doctor in me knows that scotch, lemon, sugar, and water is no antiviral chemotherapy, but dangit, I swear I feel better.  I believe I'll have another, maybe with Jamaican rum!

Vermouth cobbler

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!