An online speakeasy of potent potables and other pabulam.

An extra big icon for Repeal Day!

This month’s Mixology Monday is hosted by Jeffery Morgenthaler and the theme is “Prohibition and Repeal Day”.

My first instinct with this theme was to go for gin.  After all, gin was one of the popular liquors of Prohibition, and you would figure that on Repeal Day that it’d be one of the more common drinks as it would be possible for more people to have it.  On the other hand, as pointed out somewhere that I’m completely blanking on but I think it was in Straight Up or On the Rocks that people were simply sick of gin by that point.

Me, I”m on a big gin kick, but I’m weird, I guess.

Obviously if you’re reading this you know the name of our blog.  The term “scoff law”, according to Dr. Cocktail in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, was invented during Prohibition in 1924 as a way of describing people who, well, scoffed at the law.  He says that within 2 weeks there was a drink called the Scoff Law:

1 1/2 ounces rye
1 ounce dry vermouth
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce grenadine

(Recipe is approximate; I forgot my copy of the book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails where I used the recipe from – and both CocktailDB and Drinkboy have different recipes, and different from what I used…)

Now, if you remember correctly, I’ve tried this cocktail before, using Robert “Drinkboy” Hess’ recipe, and I complained that the whiskey taste was nearly non-existent.  Dr. Cocktail argues that the only reason why people suggested blended Canadian whiskey was due to the fact that it had “some” rye in it, but not even that much, and that using rye would make it better – and I agreed with him.

(Yep – same glass as the ones I gave

tmfiii

.  In all honesty, they were a rather good deal from KegWorks.)

I liked the drink – but wasn’t a huge fan of it.  I’m not certain what I’d do differently.

After some Thai food (no, that doesn’t fit the theme, but the ped pad gra prow from Pilin Thai is just so good…) I went for something different.  I decided to do a Jack Rose:
1 1/2 ounces applejack
1 ounce lime juice (the juice of 1/2 a lime; I don’t know what was wrong with mine, but it didn’t come anywhere near that…)
2 dashes grenadine

(Again, approximate until I can edit and correct.)

Now let’s look at CocktailDB’s recipe:
1 1/2 ounces applejack
1/2 ounce lemon or lime juice
1/2 ounce grenadine

Mine didn’t come out nearly as red as I expected, perhaps thanks to the lack of grenadine (comparatively) – I put in 1/4 of an ounce, approximately.

It wasn’t that bad, but really British, errr, limey.  (Just kidding!)  The lime was quite strong.  It didn’t need that much, and needed more grenadine.

But the Jack Rose is another classic Prohibition cocktail using a classic American ingredient that is perhaps finally starting to get its due – applejack.  And the lime should prevent scurvy.  Not that it was a huge problem during Prohibition, I think.

Finally, I had to satiate my urge for gin.  Vodka didn’t really take off until after repeal, but had it been available, this next drink, perhaps a bit modified depending on the availability of Lillet, would’ve been a good Prohibition drink.  You may have already guessed what I’m going towards by the ingredients:

The perhaps more famous now drink – the Vesper.  James Bond’s original drink, in fact.
3 ounces gin
1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce Lillet
garnish with a large swath of lemon peel (easier said than done for me)

I’d never had Lillet before, so before making the drink, I had a little taste of it.  YUMMY.  I really need to make a martini with it soon!  (And do that sacre blue martini that a friend suggested before I run out of blue cheese…)

This was a big drink.

It was good, but … yeah.  Oof.

I think, like Bond, I’ll save that for when I just want one pre-dinner drink.

And that’s it for this month!  Hope you enjoyed!  We’ll see y’all later!

December’s Mixology Monday is graciously being hosted by Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Thanks Jeff!) and the theme is Prohibition (cue the scary music now . . . ) and Repeal Day.

If your history is a little fuzzy or you want to know the horrors that were inflicted upon the United States when the Feds and those wayward state leaders decided on January 16, 1920 that we needed a Constitutional Amendment outlawing “strong water” and bestowed upon us the 18th Amendment, check out this wikipedia entry.  But thank the good man above for Franklin Roosevelt and cooler heads that led to the repeal of the 18th Amendment on December 5, 1933 with the signing of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution.  

Stories have long been told by older members of my family about Prohibition.  Specifically certain great uncles who ran whiskey and moonshine through the hills of Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York to help supply the speakeasies in cities such as New York, Washington and Boston.  Tales of cars with double gas tanks, empty wheel wells and compartments hidden within and under seats were exciting to hear as a young kid.  Could some of it be hyperbole?  Maybe.  But I like to think that my family had a direct hand in keeping our country well lubricated during these dark times.  It also could explain why some of my great aunts and uncles would curse anytime they heard the word “Kennedy.”  But I digress . . . 

I wanted a drink for this month that highlighted a brown liquor to honor the whiskey of my forefathers.   While leafing through David Wondrich’s new book Imbibe I came across a cocktail called the “Star Cocktail.”  I read through the ingredients . . . apple brandy (David suggests Applejack) and sweet vermouth make the main ingredients.  Now I love me some applejack, but the vermouth gave me a pause.  I am still overcoming my vermouth aversion and completely agree with my compatriot

runoknows

 that once I get better vermouth (I currently only have Martini & Rossi) all will be right with the world.  But, in the spirit of Repeal day, I decided this would be my drink for MxMo.

Star Cocktail
(Courtesy of Imbibe by David Wondrich)

0.5 tsp simple syrup
3 dashes Angostura bitters
1.5 oz Applejack
1.5 oz sweet vermouth
(optional dash of orange curacao)

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass half filled with cracked ice, stir until very cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.  Twist a small piece of lemon peel on top.  

I’ll tell you something, if any drink makes me yearn for vermouth, this is it!  The drink may look very similar to a Manhattan and truth be told it is very similar.  The mixture is absolutely fantastic.  The vermouth and bitters provide an herbal note that doesn’t overpower the sweetness of the simple syrup and applejack.  The curacao plays a note that is almost imperceptible, but brings a brightness that would sorely be missed.

Mr. Wondrich tells us that this cocktail was in vogue just before Prohibition was enacted.  He also tells us that one of the establishments serving the drink preferred orange bitters.  I’ve made this cocktail with Angostura and orange bitters and both versions taste very good.  But in my opinion, if you want to gild the lilly just a bit, use a 2 to 1 ration of Angostura and Orange bitters.  

One note on the glass in the picture.  My cohort Sean gave me two rocks and two chimney glasses as a christmas present with “Scofflaws Den – Cocktails and Cigars” laser etched on them.  A very classy gift from a classy guy.  Surely vessels worthy of the deluxe potables of the current era.  

Well folks, that is it for another Mixology Monday from this half of The Scofflaw’s Den.  Be sure to read Sean’s MxMo post here in the Den and don’t forget to check out the round-up on Jeffrey’s page. 

Cheers!

I also want to extend a welcome to The Scofflaw’s Den.  I hope that you find our little spot entertaining, informative and maybe a little reckless . . .

This is my first foray into the blogosphere.  But when Sean asked if I would be interested in blogging about classic cocktails and cigars and any other of our many vices, I couldn’t resist.  I think it is important to make a quick note about what we mean when we refer to “classic” cocktails.  These are drinks that usually pre-date prohibition or any drink made in the same vein.  What these drinks are *NOT* are overly sweet, non-natural colored mixed drinks that you find at Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays, etc.  (Nothing wrong with those establishments, I’m just trying to set a benchmark here.)  We try to use the freshest mixers and the best spirit we can for each cocktail.  You won’t find pre-made sour mix here (at least by me!) 

We also plan to talk about cigars.  I love cigars and have been smoking since I was an undergrad.  I now have a sizable collection and can talk about the leaf for hours.  I probably don’t smoke cigars as often as Sean does, but I credit myself with rekindling his love of the leaf.    Oh, I guess this is where I should also mention that you might find Sean and I sparring back and forth from time to time.  We don’t really hate each other or hope the other burns in a pit of hell-fire or hope their testicles fall off, but we may say so every now and again.  (These are just samples, I’m sure we’ll think of much worse things . . . )  But we are great friends and I truly count Sean as a brother to me.

Alright enough love fest crap.

Over at Sean’s on Sunday I smoked . . . well, let me rephrase.  I tried to smoke a La Aurora Cien Anos Robusto.  Damn thing wouldn’t stay lit for the life of me and just made the experience a pain.  What I could taste was as good as I come to expect from La Aurora.  But the lesson is that this weekend I have to spend a little time and rotate my cigars just to make sure they are getting enough humidity. 

Back to cocktails.  I’m currently working on a fall cocktail that will be a “signature” drink at my place.  I almost have it down and when I do, I’ll post the recipe.  

Hope ya’ll enjoy The Scofflaw’s Den!  Cheers!