Satan’s Whiskers Cocktail (Straight)
Of Italian Vermouth (1/2 oz Carpano Antica), French Vermouth (1/2 oz Dolin Blanc), Gin (1/2 oz Plymouth Navy Strength Gin) and Orange Juice (1/4 oz Valencia Orange Juice, 1/4 oz Sour Lemon Orange Juice), two parts each; of Grand Marnier one part (1/4 oz Grand Marnier); Orange Bitters (Regan’s Orange Bitters), a dash. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
Satan’s Whiskers Cocktail (Curled)
For the Grand Marnier in the foregoing Cocktail, substitute the same quantity of Orange Curacao (1/2 oz Bols Dry Orange Curacao). Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
To be honest, I’ve never really been all that thrilled with the Satan’s Whiskers cocktail. It’s a great name, but all too often it isn’t a well balanced or interesting cocktail. Kind of like the Bronx, the quality of orange juice is almost a little too important.
The Saturday before, I headed down to the Farmers’ Market with the idle goal of finding some sort of interesting orange related fruit for the drink. Anything. Clementines, Satsumas, whatever. In my heart of hearts, I really hoped for some seville oranges, as one of the suppliers often carries them during their brief season. No seville oranges, but there was an odd box of small citrus marked, “Sour Lemon Oranges”. When I picked them up to look at them, the farmer woman said something like, good for salads and cooking! Give them a try!
The picture above shows them with a quarter of a navel orange behind. You can see they are quite small and quite seedy. The meat is off yellow and the inner fruit peel greenish. They are really sour. I think possibly even more sour than lemons. They made a pretty fantastic honey mustard marinade for a pork tenderloin.
Anyway, back to drinks.
The recipe is a bit odd, I can’t think of another in the book written in this “parts” style. I decided to base it on 1/4 oz “parts”, as that would get me near the usual 2 1/4 oz cocktails.
A fresh-ish bottle of Carpano gives this a nice spice to go along with the sweetness.
As far as the difference between 1/4 oz of Bols Orange Curacao and 1/4 oz of Grand Marnier, I’ll be darned if I could tell the difference with all the other ingredients in this cocktail. And since the gin is such a small proportion, I figured Navy Strength Plymouth wouldn’t be a bad idea. It definitely wasn’t.
Maybe Satan’s Whiskers aren’t so bad after all!
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.
Roy Howard Cocktail.
1/2 Glass Kina Lillet. (1 oz Lillet Blanc)
1/4 Glass Brandy. (1/2 oz Chateau Pellehaut Armagnac)
1/4 Glass Orange Juice. (1/2 oz Orange Juice)
2 Dashes Grenadine. (Dash Homemade Grenadine)
(dash Angostura)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
This is actually quite enjoyable, despite its low alcohol content. Not enough juice to make it overly fruity, beyond the wine. And, indeed, the sweet/sour balance is closer to that of a wine that a sour cocktail.
Roy W. Howard, if indeed it is his namesake cocktail,was a correspondent for the Scripps McRae Newspapers and the president of United Press.
He moved to Scripps newspapers in 1920, and, by 1922, he was leading the company. He bought and consolidated newspapers and instituted a practice of investigative and public service journalism that, over the next decades, led to breaking union racketeering, uncovering bank scandals, exposing political corruption and prompting governmental safety regulations in the workplace.
Quite a lot of accomplishments, really. I can see why you would want a relatively low voltage cocktail to be able to keep your wits about you.
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.
Robson Cocktail.
1/8 Lemon Juice. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Lemon Juice)
1/8 Orange Juice. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Orange Juice)
1/4 Grenadine. (3/4 oz Homemade Grenadine)
1/2 Jamaica Rum. (1 1/2 oz Appleton V/X Rum)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
Actually, this is exactly what I would consider a “Planter’s Punch”, as opposed to those two earlier “Planter’s Cocktails” (No. 1 and No. 2). Multiple Citrus, check. Grenadine, check. Jamaican Rum, check. Yep, that’s a “Planter’s Punch” all right.
Tasty, too, though you could probably go with something a bit more distinctive than the Appleton V/X. Coruba might be awesome, or Haus Alpenz’ Smith and Cross Jamaica Rum, if you were feeling adventurous.
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.
Raymond Hitch Cocktail.
The Juice of 1/2 Orange.
1 Dash Orange Bitters. (Angostura Orange Bitters)
1 Slice Pineapple.
1 Glass Italian Vermouth. (2 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth)
(Muddle Pineapple in orange juice and…) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
A tasty, light and slightly exotic Low Alcohol Cocktail, the Savoy Raymond Hitch would be a pleasant before dinner diversion.
In his 1917 book, “Recipes for Mixed Drinks,” Hugo Ensslin gives this the clever name, “Raymond Hitchcocktail”.
From Answers.com:
“Hitchcock, Raymond (1865–1929), comic actor and producer. Described by Stanley Green as “a lanky, raspy?voiced comic with sharp features and straw?colored hair that he brushed across his forehead,” he was born in Auburn, New York, and came to the theatre after some unhappy years in other trades. From 1890 on he began to call attention to himself in musicals such as The Brigands and The Golden Wedding. His performance in King Dodo (1901) made him a star…”
Interestingly, his last great theater role may have been as Clem Hawley in the stage version of Don Marquis’ The Old Soak.
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.
Pruneaux Cocktail
(6 People)
2 Glasses of Gin (1 oz Junipero Gin), 2 of Sherry (1 oz Bodega Dios Baco Amontillado), 1 of Syrup of Prunes (1/2 oz Prune Syrup) and 1 of strained Orange Juice (1/2 oz orange juice). Shake thoroughly in cracked ice, and serve.
Right, well, sure “Syrup of Prunes” isn’t exactly a SEXY ingredient, with its promises of regularity and high fiber content.
All the same, it’s a darn tasty sweetener! Kinda raisin-ey and complex, especially following the procedure below, this isn’t something to be laughed at.
It is a bit of an odd bird of a cocktail. Gin, Sherry, Orange Juice, and prune syrup. Actually, this cocktail, the Blues Cocktail, and the Ship Cocktail are the only three in the book that call for Prune Syrup.
Not exactly a Martinez. Complex and sorta fruity. It would be really interesting to put this in front of someone blind.
I really enjoyed it. And the prunes cooked in the syrup are delicious to eat!
*From Eddie Clarke’s Shaking in the Sixties, “Prune Syrup. Put one lb of prunes (which have been soaked in cold water for 24 hours) into a saucepan with two heaped teaspoonfuls of brown sugar, a piece of vanilla, and enough cold water to cover them. Boil until half the liquid has disappeared, then add a tumblerful of claret and simmer until the prunes are cooked. You may add a port glass of brandy to the prunes about ten minutes before removing them. Strain the contents of the saucepan and then pass the juice through muslin. When it is cool put it in a bottle and cork tightly. This syrup will keep for two to three weeks. The prunes, of course, are delicious to eat.”
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.
Prohibition Cocktail.
1/2 Plymouth Gin. (1 oz Plymouth Gin)
1/2 Kina Lillet. (1 oz Lillet Blanc, 1 Dash Angostura)
2 Dashes Orange Juice. (1/2 teaspoon Orange Juice)
1 Dash Apricot Brandy. (1 dash Rothman and Winter Orchard Apricot)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Squeeze lemon peel on top.
Out of anything more interesting to use for Kina Lillet at the moment, so going with good old Lillet Blanc with a dash of Angostura Bitters.
Even without anything more interesting than Lillet Blanc, this is an enjoyable cocktail. I can only imagine how much more tasty it would be with something like Cocchi Americano!
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.
Presto Cocktail.
1 Dash Absinthe. (Verte de Fougerolles)
1/6 Orange Juice. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Orange Juice)
1/6 Italian Vermouth. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth)
2/3 Brandy. (1 1/2 oz Osocalis Brandy)
Shake (I stirred) well and strain into cocktail glass.
Harry McElhone also calls this the “Prestoman Cocktail”. It is a bit like a cross between a Monkey Gland and a Bronx, or technically a Maurice, but made with Brandy instead of Gin.
Really quite enjoyable and recommendable for any occasion you happen to have quality orange juice hanging around the house.
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.
President Cocktail.
2 Dashes Grenadine. (1/2 tsp. homemade grenadine)
The Juice of 1/4 Orange.
1 glass Bacardi Rum. (2 oz Mathusalem Platino)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. (Squeeze Orange peel over glass.)
This should be better than it is. But I think the main problem is the lack of character in the Mathusalem Platino. If ever there was a rum that is nearly vodka, this is it. I can barely detect rum in any cocktail I make with it.
I dunno, maybe if you had really good oranges and the best homemade grenadine evar (or small hand foods grenadine) this might be worth experimenting with.
As it is, it’s basically a screwdriver.
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.
Polo Cocktail (No. 2).
1/6 Grape Fruit Juice. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice)
1/6 Orange Juice. (1/2 of 3/4 oz Orange Juice)
2/3 Plymouth Gin. (1 1/2 oz Plymouth Gin)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
The Polo No. 2, on the other hand, I think you can keep. A big glass of citrus and Gin, I’m not that much of a fan.
I might go for it, but only if you served it in tall glass over rocks with a spritz of soda. But I think that’s about the only way I can see myself trying this one again.
In any case, this seems a bit dangerously potent to accompany horse croquet. At your own risk!
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.
Planter’s Cocktail (No. 1).
1 Dash Lemon Juice.
1/2 Orange Juice. (1 1/2 oz Orange Juice)
1/2 Rum. (1 1/2 oz Coruba Rum)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
Planter’s Cocktail.
This drink is greatly favoured by Planters, particularly in Jamaica where Rum is good and cheap.
Well, with a quote like that, I felt like I should go with Jamaican Rum, but not too fancy. Coruba sprung to mind.
Giving this to some friends to try, they were surprised at how dry and rummy this cocktail is. After all, it is basically just rum and oj.
Interestingly, in “Barflies and Cocktails”, Harry McElhone tarts this puppy out a bit more, recommending an equal parts cocktail, “1/3 Rum; 1/3 Orange Juice; 1/3 Lemon Juice.”
Not bad, either way, but a bit austere.
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.
