As these Rose Cocktail (French Style) are all pretty much variations on the same thing, it seemed sensible to tackle them all in the same post.
The components seem to be booze (gin and/or kirsch), red sweet fluid (Cherry Heering, Grenadine, or Syrup Groseille) and French Vermouth.
Rose Cocktail (French Style No. 1)
1/4 Cherry Brandy. (1/2 oz Cherry Heering)
1/4 French Vermouth. (1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)
1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz Plymouth Gin)
Stir well and strain into cocktail glass.
The first of the French Rose Cocktails is the most “Martini-like”. Not bad, but a bit plain, along the lines of a slightly fruity Dry Gin Martini.
Rose Cocktail (French Style No. 2)
1/4 Cherry Brandy. (1/2 oz Cherry Heering)
1/4 Kirsch. (1/2 oz Clear Creek Kirsch)
1/2 Dry Gin. (1 oz Plymouth Gin)
Stir well and strain into cocktail glass.
French Rose Cocktail No. 2 is the booziest, being 3/4 booze and 1/4 liqueur. If you make this, give it a good long stir. Even then, I didn’t find it all that appealing.
Rose Cocktail (French Style No. 3)
1 Teaspoonful Grenadine.
1/2 French Vermouth.
1/2 Kirsch.
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
That sounds OK, but looking through Harry McElhone’s “Barflies and Cocktails”, I found the following receipt:
Rose Cocktail
2/3 French Vermouth (1 1/2 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)
1/6 Kirschwasser (1/2 of 3/4 oz Clear Creek Kirsch)
1/6 Syrup Groseille (1/2 oz 3/4 oz Homemade Grenadine).
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass, with cherry. Original Recipe by Johnny, of the Chatham Bar, Paris.
Now to me that is something interesting, along the lines of the Rose Cocktail (English Style) or the Chrysanthemum Cocktail. A nice, light, vermouth heavy cocktail, not overly sweet. With a good quality vermouth, this makes quite a pleasant appetizer, and it is more than worthwhile messing around with the proportions to find the exact ratio which is exactly to your taste.
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.
Raspberry Cocktail.
(6 People)
Slightly bruise a cupful (4 Raspberries) of fresh raspberries and add 2 glasses of Gin (1 oz Plymouth Gin). Soak for two hours and strain. Complete the mixture by adding a liqueur glass of Kirsch (3/4 oz Clear Creek Kirsch) and 2 glasses of any White Wine (1 oz Bex 2007 Riesling) which is not too sweet. Such as Moselle, Graves or Chablis. Ice. Shake. Put a raspberry in each glass, and serve. This is a very refreshing summer cocktail.
This is, in fact, a very refreshing and quite tasty summer cocktail, arriving just in time for our usual fall Indian Summer. Unfortunately, with a very unimaginative name.
Personally, I struggled with not putting any sugar at all in this. If I were to make it again, I might add just a dash or so of simple.
If you don’t have time for the long steep of the raspberries, I can say from personal experience, muddling them in the gin works almost as well for an a la minute preparation.
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.
Nineteen-Twenty Cocktail
1 Teaspoonful Groseille Syrup. (1 teaspoon Brizard Creme de Cassis)
1/6 Pernod Kirsch. (1/2 oz Clear Creek Kirsch)
1/6 Crystal Gin. (1/2 oz North Shore Distiller’s No. 11)
2/3 French Vermouth. (2 oz Noilly Original Dry Vermouth)
1 Dash Absinthe. (Verte de Fougerolles)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Luxardo Cherry.)
Obviously very similar to the preceding “Nineteen Cocktail”. The only real difference being using the Groseille (aka Red Currant) Syrup as a sweetener instead of plain syrup. I’m substituting the Brizard Cassis for the Groseille. If you didn’t have that around, Grenadine would likely be your next best choice.
I enjoyed both of these light, low alcohol cocktails, but to be honest I kind of preferred the cleaner flavor of the Nineteen to the the Nineteen-Twenty.
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.
Nineteen Cocktail
1 Dash Absinthe. (Verte de Fougerolles)
1/6 Dry Gin. (1/2 oz North Shore Distiller’s No. 11)
1/6 Kirsch. (1/2 oz Clear Creek Kirsch)
2/3 French Vermouth. (2 oz Noilly Original Dry*)
4 Dashes Syrup. (1 tsp. Rich Simple Syrup)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Lemon Peel.)
Noilly Prat recently redesigned the bottles for their Sweet and Dry Vermouths. Along with the redesign of the bottles, they discontinued a formula of their Dry Vermouth which they had only been selling in America, standardizing on the “Original French Dry” which has been sold in the rest of the world for all this time.
To explain, some time in the 1960s, as Martinis were getting drier and drier, Noilly Prat launched a new forumula of their Dry Vermouth exclusively for the US.
This is the text of an ad from 1964, turned up by Mr. David Wondrich:
VERY VERY PALE
So pale that new Noilly Prat French Vermouth is virtually invisible in your gin or vodka. Extra pale and extra dry for today’s correct Martini. DON’T STIR WITHOUT NOILLY PRAT.
Well, as you can see from the picture of the drink above, Noilly Dry is invisible no longer! Most Martinis with more than a splash of vermouth, will now take on a distinct amber hue from the darker color of the Noilly Dry Vermouth.
The difference in the two versions that were sold was primarily a larger percentage of aged wine in the “Original French Dry”.
As far as taste goes, doing a side by side of the two Noilly, there is a stronger sherry like character in the “new” formula and slightly more pronounced herbal/floral flavor.
A lot of people have gotten up in arms about this, Feeling Noilly has ruined their Martinis forever.
From my perspective, however, we’re probably getting something closer to what Noilly Prat Vermouth would have tasted like in the early part of the 20th Century. In addition we’re getting extra vermouth flavor.
How could that be a bad thing?
For example, I tried making this cocktail with the lighter American Noilly and again with Dolin Dry. I found that I preferred the Original French Dry in this cocktail to either of the other two Dry Vermouths.
While there are other cocktails where I prefer the Dolin Dry, Dry Martinis for example, in more complex or vermouth forward cocktails, the Noilly Prat can bring a bit more interest to the drink.
In regards, the Nineteen Cocktail, it is a light cocktail along the lines of the Chrysanthemum. A good before dinner drink which might even complement an appetizer without getting you totally blitzed on an empty stomach. Or a nice civilized drink to get you back on an even keel after a few more potent potables.
*Noilly Original Dry was received from a marketing firm promoting its launch.
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.
Moonlight Cocktail
(6 People)
1 1/2 Glasses Grape-fruit Juice. (3/4 oz fresh Grapefruit Juice)
2 Glasses Gin. (1 oz Broker’s Gin)
1/2 Glass Kirsch. (1/4 oz Clear Creek Kirsch)
2 Glasses White Wine. (1 oz Les Domains Tatins, 2007, Quincy/Domaine du Tremblay)
Add ice and shake thoroughly. Serve by placing in each glass a thin shaving of lemon peel.
A very dry cocktail.
I mentioned the ingredients to this cocktail to some drinky friends and they said, “That’s a Boudreauing Wine-tini!” Ahem. Well, as we all know by now, there truly is very little new under the sun, whether it is the use of fresh herbs and spices in cocktails or wine.
It is actually a pleasant cocktail, more along the lines of a punch, almost, than what I usually think of as the typical cocktail flavor palette. And, yes, it is a very dry cocktail!
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.
Margato Cocktail (Special)
1/3 Bacardi Rum. (3/4 oz Montecristo White Rum)
1/3 French Vermouth. (3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth)
1/3 Italian Vermouth. (3/4 oz Carpano Antica)
1 Dash Kirsch. (1/3 tsp. Trimbach Kirsch)
The Juice of 1/2 Lemon.
The Juice of 1/3 Lime.
A little sugar (scant teaspoon caster sugar) dissolved in soda-water.
Shake well and serve in cocktail glass.
Uh right. If this recipe makes sense to anyone, feel free to let me know. Who measures “The Juice of 1/3 Lime”?
It’s pretty OK. Tasting mostly like a slightly vermouth-ey glass of tart lemonade. Certainly, the alcohol is well disguised. Maybe that is the point?
There is a Cuban rum cocktail with dry vermouth and lime. Not El Presidente, I can’t think of what it is called. I suppose this is sort of a “perfect” version of that cocktail.
Oh right, to answer my own question, it is the “Presidente Vincent” cocktail.
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.
K.C.B. Cocktail
1 Dash Apricot Brandy. (1/3 tsp. Rothman & Winter Orchard vs. Haus Alpenz Blumme Marillen)
1 Dash Lemon Juice. (1/3 tsp. Lemon Juice)
1/4 Kirsch. (1/2 oz Trimbach Kirsch)
3/4 Dry Gin. (1 1/2 oz North Shore Distiller’s No. 6)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
Patrick Gavin Duffy suggests you, “Stir well in ice and strain. Twist of Lemon Peel.” I tried it both ways, and to be honest, I’m not sure the stirring matters that much, (I know I should have double strained,) but I do suggest you follow his advice for the lemon peel.
Among the possibly meanings of “K.C.B.” is that of the Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.
Oddly, it does appear, to mean literally “bath” as in bathing.
The second highest order of chivalry in England. The title of the Order is late medieval in origin, it arose from the ritual washing (inspired by the ritual of baptism), a symbol of spiritual purification, followed by a night of prayer and meditation before the Knights of the Bath attended the mass and then receive there accolade. Medieval knights frequently carried out there vigil of fasting, prayer and purification in the Chapel Royal of St John the Evangelist in the Tower of London. There is an account of this ceremony in the reign of King Henry IV which remained until the time of King Charles II.
More information on wikipedia: Order of the Bath
Pretty serious stuff!
Ahem, well, it’s too bad for Humuhumu we didn’t make it to this drink in Portland, as there is no trace of vermouth!
I tried it with both Apricot Liqueur and Apricot Eau-de-Vie. There’s so little volume, that the liqueur had very little impact in the cocktail. The Eau-de-Vie seemed to contribute more. If you’ve got it around, I’d suggest it.
Though, I don’t know who to suggest making this cocktail for. Maybe lovers of Super Extra Dry Gin Martinis looking for a little spice in their cocktail life?
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.
Eton Blazer Cocktail
The Juice of 1/2 Lemon.
1/2 Tablespoonful of Powdered Sugar. (1 teaspoon Caster Sugar)
1/4 Kirsch. (1/2 oz Kirsch)
3/4 Plymouth Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin)
Shake well and strain into long tumbler; fill up with sodawater.
Michael Jackson, in his “Bar and Cocktail Companion,” says, “A metaphorical name, no doubt, since Eton College doesn’t have a blazer. Nor is the college’s color, black, evident in this drink. Not a blazer in the Blue sense.”
A perfectly fine and enjoyable long drink. I could have maybe been a bit more generous with the sugar. Thinking about it now, it might be more interesting to top it up with Kirsch, instead of shaking it with together the Gin, sugar and lemon. That way you would get the scent carried up on the bubbles as a kind of greeting when you first sip the cocktail.
Coincidentally, when I visited Slanted Door recently, Mr. Erik Adkins was working on adapting the Eton Blazer from the recipe in Harry McElhone’s “Barflies and Cocktails“. The interesting thing about McElhone’s version of the drink is that instead of sugar as a sweetener it uses an obscure cocktail ingredient named “Groseille Syrup”. Groseille Syrup is a Grenadine-like sweetener made from Red Currants. This summer Jennifer Colliau, as part of her Small Hand Foods business, experimented with making a Red Currant Syrup. She’s been on the lookout for drinks, other than the Artist’s Special, with which to showcase the ingredient.
The McElhone recipe goes like this: “In a large tumbler put 3 or 4 lumps of ice, the juice of one lemon, 1 glass of Gilbey’s Gin, ½ glass Groseille Syrup, ½ glass Kirsch. Fill balance with soda. Stir well and serve with straws.” I didn’t take a picture of Mr. Adkins’ experiment, but, as you might imagine, the Groseille Syrup does make the drink taste a bit more interesting than using plain sugar. However, it also colors it a lovely shade of pink. So, you know, unless you’re secure in your manhood, you might want to stick with sugar.
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.
Café Kirsch Cocktail
The White of 1 Egg
1 Liqueur Glass Kirsch (1 oz Trimbach Kirsch)
1/2 Tablespoon of Sugar (1 teaspoon Caster Sugar)
1 Small Glass of Cold Coffee (1 oz Peet’s Kenyan AA, Melitta Drip)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
Weird. I expected to like the last cocktail and expected to dislike this one.
Wrong on both accounts.
This is tasty and pretty! I’ll take this over a Red Bull and Vodka any day.
Of course I’m going to regret drinking it, when I can’t sleep tonight at midnight.
Couple Additional Notes:
If you don’t have decent strong drip coffee for it, use espresso.
In the US a number of the larger liqueur companies market something they call Kirschwasser. If you look at the ingredients on the back, you will discover that it is typically artificially flavored and sweetened neutral spirits. I’ve tried a couple (they’re cheap) and they are truly vile. Think, cherry cough drops dissolved in kerosene.
Kirsch or Cherry Eau de Vie is almost always sold in 375ml bottles and is relatively expensive. It is distilled from a “wine” made from fermented cherry juice and is (usually) an unaged clear spirit. In the US, Clear Creek, St. George Spirits, Peak Spirits, and others make acceptable versions.
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.
