Savoy Hotel Special Cocktail (No. 2)
2 Dashes Dubonnet. (.5ml Dubonnet Rouge)
1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)
2/3 Plymouth Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top.
This is a perfectly fine Martini, and all, but I would probably only really rate it as an “OK” cocktail on technical merit. Mostly, because it is so close to being a Martini.
The use of only 2 dashes of Dubonnet Rouge is really one of those puzzling things. Even being generous, as I am here, it really doesn’t even do much to pink up the cocktail, let alone add flavor. To be honest, I’m not even sure I could tell this cocktail in a blind taste test from one made with just French Vermouth and Plymouth Gin.
Anyway, while it is only an “OK” cocktail, well made, there are far worse things than Plymouth Gin, French Vermouth, a dash of Dubonnet, and an orange twist.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Sanctuary Cocktail*
1/4 Cointreau. (1/2 oz Cointreau)
1/4 Amer Picon. (1/2 oz Torani Amer, er, well, Homemade version of Boudreau’s Amer Picon replica, actually. The Torani Amer bottle was just better looking.)
1/2 Dubonnet. (1 oz Dubonnet Rouge)
Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass.
*So-called because the Savoy, together with The Clink, Deadman’s Place, Fulwood’s Rents, The Mint, Mitre Court, Baldwin’s Gardens and Stepney were the last places in London where the privilege of “Sanctuary ” existed. Unfortunately this privilege was abolished by in “The Escape from Prison Act” in 1697. But even to-day no Ladies are allowed in the Savoy’s inner American Cocktail Bar.
“The protection afforded by a sanctuary at common law a person accused of felony might fly for safeguard of to sanctuary and there within 40 days go clothed in sackcloth before the coroner confess the felony and take an oath of t lie realm whereby he undertook to quit the kingdom and not return without the king’s leave Upon was ipso facto convict of the felony suffered attainder and forfeited all his goods but had time allowed him his oath The abjurer started forth on his journey with a wooden cross bareheaded and clothed in a robe which made him conspicuous among medieval wayfarers He had to keep to the king’s highway was not remain more than two nights in any one place and his way to the coast quickly The time allowed for was not long In Edward III s reign only nine given an abjurer to travel on foot from Yorkshire to Dover.”
I believe this is a bit of a joke, conflating the legal right of “sanctuary” with the ability to go to a bar and avoid your wife.
The cocktail itself is better than I expected. The bitterness of the Amer Picon replica does a nice job in balancing out the sweetness of the Cointreau.
These sorts of drinks always seem very much like what would be drunk in a Cafe in France, as in the picon-citron-curacao from Marcel Pagnol’s movie “Marius”.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Salome Cocktail.
1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)
1/3 Dry Gin. (3/4 oz Junipero Gin)
1/3 Dubonnet. (3/4 oz Dubonnet Rouge)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
While I am unclear exactly what this combination of Dry Vermouth, Dubonnet Rouge, and Dry Gin has to do with the beheading of John the Baptist, it is a fine, light libation.
An orange or lemon twist wouldn’t kill anyone, nor would a dash of bitters. Still, this is quite pleasant.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Princess Mary’s Pride Cocktail.
1/4 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)
1/4 Dubonnet. (1/2 oz Dubonnet)
1/2 Calvados. (1 oz Groult Calvados Reserve)
Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass.
Created by Harry Craddock on February 28, 1922, to mark the wedding celebrations of H.R.H Princess Mary.
Like the preceding Princess Mary, this was created to mark the wedding of H.R.H. Princess Mary. Nothing against Mr. McElhone’s cocktail, but this is about a zillion times better to me.
Being 2/3 aperitif wine, it is on the light side, but the flavorful Groult Calvados still pokes it’s head out, giving the drink a flavorful character.
Thoroughly enjoyable, this is one cocktail I suspect is better with Calvados than it would be with American Apple Brandy.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Phoebe Snow Cocktail.
1 Dash Absinthe. (Verte de Fougerolles)
1/2 Brandy. (1 oz Osocalis Alambic Brandy)
1/2 Dubonnet. (1 oz Dubonnet Rouge)
Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass. (Felt like it needed a Cherry.)
Nothing complicated here; but an enjoyable cocktail all the same.
Interestingly, like Aunt Jemina and Betty Crocker, Phoebe Snow was a fictional character created as a part of an advertising campaign.
“Phoebe Snow, the “maid in white” who promoted the smoke-free anthracite coal used on the Lackawanna Railroad, was the brainchild of one of advertising’s earliest creative geniuses, Earnest Elmo Calkins.”
So successful was the character that the Lackawanna Railroad named its first stream lined passenger train after her in 1949.
However, as with all things railroad, in later years mounting losses took their toll.
“Still, despite fine service and great views, as with the rest of the railroad industry, the Phoebe Snow could not stave off increasing losses as passengers took to their cars and the air for faster, more efficient means of travel. With the loss of the US Postal Service mail contracts in 1966 the Erie Lackawanna decided it was time to retire the Phoebe for good and she made her last run on November 28th of that year.”
Should you order this cocktail at the next Savoy Night at Alembic Bar, July 26th?
If you’re looking for an uncomplicated before dinner aperitif, I’d give it a, “why not?”
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Peggy Cocktail.
1 Dash Absinthe. (Absinthe Verte de Fougerolles)
1 Dash Dubonnet. (Dubonnet Rouge)
1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Noilly Original Dry Vermouth)
2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Beefeater Gin)
Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass.
There are a couple cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book that call for Dubonnet Rouge in “dash” proportions. I had heard that the French version of Dubonnet Rouge was distinct from the American version, so assumed it might have more bitter character. I thought maybe that might explain using it in such small proportions.
However, I recently had a chance to try the French version of Dubonnet Rouge. While it did seem to be a nicer product, with maybe a slightly higher quality wine base, it was really not much different at all in terms of overall taste and bitterness. While it is possible that both products may have evolved over time, I suspect that the dash of Dubonnet here is just providing a slight rosy hue.
In any case, this is a pleasant, if not outstanding, cocktail. A slightly richer, and pinker, version of a dry martini.
As Mrs. Flannestad and I are still making our way through the second season of Mad Men, the name of this cocktail reminds me a bit of the always conflicted Peggy on that show.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Opera Cocktail.
1/6 Maraschino. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino)
1/6 Dubonnet. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Dubonnet Rouge)
2/3 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz Beefeater 24)
Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze orange peel on top.
This version of the Opera is too sweet for me. Tastes like perfumey, wine candy. My first instinct was to increase the Dubonnet Rouge to 3/4 oz and reduce the Maraschino to a bar spoon. That version lacked zest. I think somewhere around a quarter ounce of Maraschino would be about right. A dash or two of Angostura bitters wouldn’t hurt, either.
Received the Beefeater 24 from the folks promoting its launch in the US. Nice bottle, eh? It’s a pleasant gin, a bit more citrus forward than the regular Beefeater and perhaps a bit sweeter. I don’t get much flavor from the much ballyhooed inclusion of Japanese Green Tea. Perhaps the subtle character of green tea would show up in a simpler drink.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Napoleon Cocktail
1 Dash Fernet Branca. (1/3 tsp. Fernet Branca)
1 Dash Curacao. (1/3 tsp. Bols Dry Orange Curacao)
1 Dash Dubonnet. (1/3 tsp. Vergano Lulli Americano)
1 Glass Dry Gin. (2 oz Beefeater Gin)
Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top.
As we’ve noted, while there were a number of civilized fifty-fifty martini type drinks on the menu before and after prohibition, there was also no shortage of, “Hey! That’s just booze in that glass!” drinks either.
If I were you, I’d go a bit long on those dashes. As measured above, this tasted pretty much like a big, cold glass of gin.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Dubonnet Cocktail
1/2 Dubonnet. (Generous 1 oz Dubonnet Rouge)
1/2 Dry Gin. (Generous 1 oz Tanqueray)
Stir well and strain into cocktail glass.
A fine, if somewhat plain, cocktail.
I can’t really think of anything to say about it other than that.
I’ve read the Dubonnet they have in Canada and Europe is different from the Dubonnet we get here, so perhaps this is a more interesting cocktail elsewhere.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
Diabola Cocktail
2/3 Dubonnet. (1 1/2 oz Dubonnet Rouge)
1/3 Gin. (3/4 oz Junipero Gin)
2 Dashes Orgeat Syrup. (Monin)
Shake (stir, please) well and strain into cocktail glass.
This is a fine and enjoyable cocktail, significantly improved by the addition of a dash of Angostura Bitters. If you choose to make it yourself, I would advise picking a more aggressively flavored Gin, given the ratio of Dubonnet to spirit.
“Diabola” may be Latin for “Evil One.” It certainly is used as part of the “Latin” binomial for various menacing looking plants and animals like the “Dracula Lily” (Dracula diabola) and “DEVIL’S RIVER BLACKHEAD SNAKE” (Tantilla rubra diabola). Diabola also appears to be a common name among certain, how shall we say, sub-cultures which frequent some of the more colorful corners of the Internet. Fair warning: in case you are drawn to Google it yourself, these pages are of the sort which you really probably shouldn’t dig in to while at work.
Again, like the Devil’s Cocktail, I can’t say I found this cocktail particularly evil, menacing, or deceptive.
This post is one in a series documenting my ongoing effort to make all of the cocktails in the Savoy Cocktail Book, starting at the first, Abbey, and ending at the last, Zed.
