BAR BOOK VOLUME III

1
 The Merchant Hotel Bar Book

Volume III

A 10% service charge will be added to all bills.

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Shaking up the Belfast Bar Scene
By Luke Ryan

With the imminent release of Casino Royale, Belfast now

has its own James Bond set in the form of a glamorous new
bar which boasts the most expensive cocktail in the world
and is set amid the opulence of the five-star Merchant Hotel.

Local man Sean Muldoon, who has a reputation for doing

for bars what Gordon Ramsay can do for a restaurant, has
taken the helm with the aim of securing global recognition
for the bar. Muldoon used to run a consultancy business
and has won awards in Ireland for best bar, best bartender,
best drinks selection and best restaurant. UK awards under
his belt include best drinks selection and best restaurant so
it is safe to say he knows his trade. But it is the bar at the
Merchant Hotel that is Muldoons big hope.

This is the one that I think is going to clean up when it

comes to proper bar awards, he says. For the people who
live here its a place to be proud of - somewhere very special
and different to have a drink. For the international visitor,
I think they will find something they will identify with and
really respect.

So self-assured is Muldoon that one cant help thinking

his vision for the bar might just become a reality.

I am very happy at the Merchant and I feel fully

challenged, he says. I honestly feel that we are going to
create a world class bar that will be talked about across the
globe. It will take time - reputations arent built overnight -
but we will get there. And I know Ive got a team behind me
who believe fully in the vision I have got.

Excerpt taken from The Irish News

31/10/06

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 Dedicated to Joe Gilmore Contents:

5th Head Bartender of the American Bar

at the Savoy Hotel and Native of Belfast
08 At a Glance (Our top 12 selling drinks)

10 Drinks of the Elegant and Refined Style

16 Drinks of the Rich And Fruity Style

24 DRINKS OF THE LONG AND REFRESHING STYLE

42 Drinks of the Sharp and Sour Style

68 Drinks of the Tropical and Exotic Style

76 Drinks of the Short and Potent Style

90 Drinks of the Soft and Creamy Style

98 Hot Drinks
102 Alcohol-Free Drinks

The Merchant Hotel Bar Book Volume III

By Sean Muldoon & Jack McGarry 2009

Photography by kharapringlephotographic.com
Designed by paperjamdesign.com ** Denotes an original drink created at The Merchant Hotel

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 t a Glance
Our top 12 Selling
Drinks:
The Southside:
Plymouth Gin, fresh lime juice,
fresh spearmint, cane syrup,
aromatic bitters and chilled
seltzer water
8.95 See Page 33
Sloe Gin Ginger Sling:
Plymouth Gin, Sloe Gin, apricot
liqueur, cherry liqueur, aromatic
bitters, fresh lime juice, fresh
ginger extract, cane syrup and
chilled seltzer water
8.95 See Page 29
Pimms Cup:
Pimms No 1, fresh lemon juice,
fresh ginger extract, cane syrup
and chilled seltzer water
8.45 See Page 23
Bramble:
Bombay Sapphire Gin, blackberry
liqueur, fresh lime juice, fresh
blackberries and cane syrup
8.45 See Page 53
Blushing Lady:
42 Below Vodka, fresh
pomegranate juice, fresh white
grapefruit & lemon juices, house-
made orgeat syrup and a dribble
of rosewater
7.95 See Page 59
Jack Rose:
Bonded-proof Applejack, fresh
lime juice and house-made
grenadine
7.95 See Page 65
Fog Cutter:
Hennessy VS Cognac, Havana
Club Anejo Rum, Plymouth Gin,
Fino Sherry, orange & lemon juice
and house-made orgeat syrup
8.45 See Page 71
Champagne Cocktail:
Brut Champagne NV, cane syrup
and aromatic bitters
13.95 See Page 13
Mr Harrison:
Ketel One Vodka, curacao, fresh
lime juice, fresh kumquats, fresh
basil, house-made orgeat syrup
and chilled seltzer water
8.95 See Page 31
Finn McCool:
Finlandia Vodka, Amer Picon,
house-made passion fruit cordial,
fresh lemon juice and chilled
tonic water
8.95 See Page 27
Gin-Gin Mule:
Plymouth Gin, fresh lime juice,
fresh spearmint, cane syrup,
aromatic bitters, fresh ginger
extract and chilled seltzer water
8.95 See Page 33
The Phoenix:
Plum-infused Poitin, poire eau
de vie, fresh lemon, local flower
honey and pure County Armagh
apple juice.
9.95 See Page 51
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Drinks of the

ELEGANT
12
Champagne
Cocktail
- Champagne Cocktail
- Alfonso (NEW)

and - Jimmy Roosevelt (NEW)

14
Bellini

REFINED
- Classic White Peach Bellini
- French 71 (NEW)**
- Champagne Negroni (NEW)**

Style:

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 The first Cocktail to incorporate Champagne as an
Elegant and Refined ingredient was accurately, if unimaginatively, named
the Champagne Cocktail. The first reference to this
beverage appeared in 1850 when Frank Marraytt, who
was travelling around San Francisco, stated, More French
wines are drunk in California, twice over, than by the
same population of the United States.

The
The Champagne Cocktail was seen during this period
as a pick-me-up style drink. It became the drink of the
sporting crowd and remained so until well into the 20th
Century. The young ladies of America also loved this drink

Champagne and it went on to acquire the

nickname Chorus Girls Milk.

Cocktail
A recipe appears in Jerry
Thomass How to Mix Drinks or
The Bon-Vivants Companion
(1862). Jerry served his
Champagne Cocktail over ice and poured the ingredients
back and fourth to achieve a foamy head. We wanted
to replicate this method so we make this drink over ice,
although we dont pour it back and forth, as that loses its
bubbling sensation.
Many people also associate Cognac with this drink;
however this was only added in 1898 by Delaware
mixologist Joseph Haywood who simply advised: "Add
one-half glass brandy. Different bartenders guides use
different recipes; however for this volume of the bar book
we wanted to get closer to the first Champagne Cocktail,
the drink that was known as a Morning Bracer. We feel
this drink is a beautifully refreshing Champagne tonic.

Variants and Mixology: - Champagne Cocktail:

Into an ice-filled Fizz Glass add 7.5mls cane syrup, 125mls
All 13.95 Brut Champagne and 3 dashes aromatic bitters. Churn
briefly with bar-spoon and ornament with lemon zest &
fruits in season. Serve with a straw.
- Alfonso:
Brut Champagne, Dubonnet, Peychauds Bitters and cane
syrup (NEW)
- Jimmy Roosevelt:
Brut Champagne, Hennessy VS Cognac, Green Chartreuse,
aromatic bitters and cane syrup (NEW)

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 The Bellini was invented sometime in the late 1930s by
Elegant and Refined Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harrys Bar in Venice. He
named the drink the Bellini because of its unique pink
colour, which reminded Cipriani of the colour of the toga
of a saint in a painting by 15th-century Venetian artist
Giovanni Bellini. The drink started as a seasonal speciality

The
at Harrys, a favourite haunt of Ernest Hemingway, Sinclair
Lewis and Orson Welles, situated right on the Saint Marks
Bay waterfront area.

Bellini
Later, the drink also became popular at the bars
New York counterpart and, after an entrepreneurial
Frenchman set up a business to ship fresh white
peach pure to both locations, it became a year-round
favourite.
The Bellini consists of pured white peaches and Prosecco,
which is an Italian sparkling wine. The original recipe
was made with a bit of raspberry or cherry juice to give
the drink its unique pink glow. Due, in part, to the limited
availability of both white peaches and Prosecco, several
variations exist today.
Other sparkling wines are commonly used in place of
Prosecco, though it has to be said that richly-flavoured
French Champagne does not pair well at all with the
light, fruity flavour of the Bellini. The recipe for the Bellini
served at Harrys Bar today calls for one third fresh frozen
puree and two thirds Prosecco.
At the bar we prefer not to use frozen purees of any
nature, so we make our own peach mix by first draining
off canned peaches and then steeping them overnight in
a combination of light Itailian white wine, limoncello, fresh
lemon juice and lemon zest. We then take out the lemon
zest and puree this all the next day, using a hand blender
and strain the mixture through a colander to obtain the
desired consistency.

Variants and Mixology: - Classic White Peach Bellini:

Stir over ice 60mls house-made peach puree, 5mls cane
All 13.95 syrup, 2 dashes peach bitters and 75mls Prosecco. Strain
into a pre-chilled Champagne Flute. Top up with fresh
Prosecco from bottle.
- French 71:**
Plymouth Gin, Olorosso Sherry, fresh lemon juice, cane
syrup and Brut Champagne (NEW)
- Champagne Negroni:**
Plymouth Gin, Martini Rosso, Campari, fresh lemon & ruby
grapefruit juices, cane syrup and Brut Champagne (NEW)

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DRINKS
18
The Bowl
of Punch
- Pineapple Pisco Punch Bowl

OF THE
- Seafarers Punch**

20
The Sherry
Cobbler
- Sherry Cobbler

RICH &
- Chianti Cobbler
- Rhine Wine Cobbler

22
The Pimms
Cup

FRUITY
- Pimms Cup
- Cider Cup
- Claret Cup

STYLE :

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 Punch came to the English colonies in America from the
Rich and Fruity English colonies in India. The word is from the Hindustani
panch, meaning five; referring to the five ingredients
that are used in the drink, namely tea, arrack, sugar,
lemons and water.
The English took very quickly to the new drink and soon
the word appeared in English ballads, showing that Punch
was well known. Every social gathering of the well-to-do
soon had a Punch Bowl. Every dinner was prefaced by a

The
Bowl of Punch passed from hand to hand, while the liquor
was drunk from the bowl.
Punch became popular in New England just as

Bowl of it did in old England, in fact, wherever English-

speaking sea rovers could spread word of the
new drink. In 1682 John Winthrop wrote of the

Punch
sale of a Punch Bowl in Boston, and in 1686 John
Dunton told of more than one noble Bowl of Punch
in New England. Punch was popular in Virginia,
it was popular in New York, it was popular in
Pennsylvania. William Black recorded in his diary
in 1744 that in Philadelphia he was given cider and Punch
for lunch; rum and brandy before dinner; Punch, Madeira,
Port, and Sherry at dinner; Punch and liqueurs with the
ladies; and wine, spirit, and Punch till bedtime; all in
Punch Bowls big enough for a goose to swim in.
The importation to England and America of lemons,
oranges, and limes for use as Punch sowrings, as they
were called, was an important part of the West Indian
and Portuguese trade. The juices of lemons, oranges,
limes, and pineapples were all used in Punches, and were
imported in demijohns and bottles.

Variants and Mixology: - Pineapple Pisco Punch (Serves 10):

Pour directly into a Punch Bowl over 1 large block of ice,
All 89.95 1 Bottle Alto Del Carmen Pisco Brandy, 350mls fresh
lemon juice, 175mls house-made pineapple syrup, 12
dashes aromatic bitters and 50mls cane syrup. Stir well
with ladle and garnish with macerated pineapple chunks.
- Seafarers Punch (Serves 10):**
Plymouth Gin, Noilly Prat Rouge, housemade blackberry
and raspberry cordials, fresh lime, cane syrup and Jerry
Thomas's Own Decanter Bitters.

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 The Sherry Cobbler was the drink of its era. The first time
Rich and Fruity this beverage appeared in print was in The Gentlemans
Magazine by William Burton and Edgar Poe during the
year of 1837. They said: ...the cobler", a light vinous
Punch, exceedingly well iced, and grateful to the delicate
aesophagus.
A Cobbler is as stated above, a light Punch; although the
main point of difference between the Cobbler and the
Punch is that the Cobbler is not spiced. However I will

The
leave it to Richard Bonnycastle, who wrote Canada and
Canadians in 1846, to describe what a Cobbler is: ...but
he does. I am ashamed to say, admire a Sherry Cobbler.

Sherry
Particularly if he does get a second-hand piece of
vermicelli to suck it through. Reader, do you know
what a Sherry Cobbler is? I will enlighten you. Let
the sun shine at about 80 Fahrenheit. Then take

Cobbler a lump of ice; fix it at the edge of a board; rasp it

with a tool made like a drawing knife or carpenters
plance, set face upwards. Collect the rasping, the
fine rasping, mind, in a capacious tumbler; pour
thereon two glasses of good Sherry, and a good spoonful
of powdered white sugar, with a few small bits, not slices,
but bits of lemon, about as big as a gooseberry. Stir with
a wooden macerator. Drink through a tube of macaroni or
vermicelli.
The Sherry Cobbler gained worldwide recognition due to
the new device called a straw. This drink is believed
to be the first that incorporated a straw and, as Dave
Wondrich writes in his book Imbibe: Sherry Cobbler was
the killer app that brought it (the straw) into common use.
By the late 19th century this drink had achieved universal
popularity and was drunk all over the world. Harry
Johnson - the self-proclaimed Don of Bartending -
spoke of the Sherry Cobbler in his New and Improved
Bartenders Manual in 1888: The Sherry Cobbler is
without doubt the most popular beverage in the country,
with ladies as well as with gentlemen.

Variants and Mixology: - Sherry Cobbler:

Swizzle over cracked ice in a mixing glass 50mls Olorosso
All 8.45 Sherry, 10mls fresh lemon juice, 10mls fresh orange juice
and 10mls cane syrup. Pour everything into a pre-chilled
Punch Goblet and garnish with fruits in season. Serve
with a straw.
- Chianti Cobbler:
Chianti DOCG, house-made raspberry cordial, fresh berries
and chilled seltzer water.
- Rhine Wine Cobbler:
Rhine Wine, kirsch, house-made raspberry cordial, fresh
lime juice, fresh berries and chilled seltzer water.

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 Pimms No. 1 Cup, which is the main ingredient in the
Rich and Fruity Pimms Cocktail, is a brown-burgundy-coloured, gin-
based, semisweet, fruity liqueur. The liqueur is so strongly
associated with the Pimms Cocktail that the drink is often
called the Pimms Cup.
The Pimms history begins in London in 1823, when James
Pimm opened Pimms Oyster Bar in Londons financial
district. He served oysters alongside the house cup;
a Gin Sling with a proprietary mix of liqueurs and fruit

The
extracts. The drink was initially served as a digestive tonic
in a tankard and was such a big hit that he expanded the
business to sell it by the bottle to other taverns. In

Pimms
1859, he began selling Pimms No. 1 commercially
and the drink became a must-have concoction
among the fashionable socialites of England.

Cup
After the Second World War he followed with Pimms
No. 2 Cup, made with a Scotch base and Pimms No. 3 Cup,
with a brandy base. Eventually six Pimms Cup versions
were released, with base spirits rum, rye and vodka
completing the line. It is hard to find these Pimms today,
as only No. 1 and No. 6 are produced any longer.
In England, the beverage is almost as much a tradition
as the cup of tea and the English down it by the gallon
during the summer months. It has also become the drink
of Wimbledon, enjoying a relationship similar to that
of Mint Julep and the Kentucky Derby. Traditionally the
drink is served long with lemonade or ginger ale and uses
plenty of seasonal fruit.
At the bar, we have opted for a more concentrated version
using instead fresh ginger extract and fresh lemon juice
topped up with chilled seltzer water.

Variants and Mixology: - Pimms Cup:

Shake hard over ice 50mls Pimms No.1 Cup, 25mls fresh
All 8.45 lemon juice, 10mls fresh ginger extract and 15mls cane
syrup. Strain into a glass cup filled with cracked ice and
top up with chilled seltzer water. Ornament with fresh
cucumber, apple slices, mint and fruits in season. Serve
with a straw.
- Cider Cup:
Hennessy VS Cognac, Calvados, curacao, fresh lemon,
cane syrup, apple cider and chilled seltzer water.
- Claret Cup:
Bordeaux Claret, maraschino liqueur, fresh lemon, cane
syrup and chilled seltzer water.

23
26 32
Gin & Tonic The Southside
- Ultimate Gin & Tonic - The Southside
- Gincognito (NEW)** - The Fernet Side (NEW)**
- Finn McCool (NEW)** - Gin-Gin Mule

28
The Gin Sling
- Sloe Gin Ginger Sling**
- Rangoon Sling (NEW)**
- Gin Sling (NEW)
- Solomon Sling (NEW)
30
The Collins
- The Sicilian**
- Eton's Blazer (NEW)
- Mr. Harrison (NEW)**
- The Cincinnati Kid (NEW)**
34
The Moscow Mule
- Moscow Mule
- El Diablo (NEW)
36
The RHum Swizzle
- Martinique Rhum Swizzle
- Green Swizzle (NEW)
- Queens Park Swizzle
38
Dark and Stormy
- Dark and Stormy
- Melancholy Punch (NEW)**

40
The Mint Julep
- Kentucky Mint Julep
- Real Georgia Mint Julep

25
 A Gin & Tonic is a Highball style drink made with gin and
LONG and Refreshing tonic water and is usually garnished with a slice of lime,
lemon or cucumber. This drink was introduced by the
army and the British East India Company in India during
the 19thcentury. They had been searching for ways to get
their men to ingest quinine, which is used to treat malaria
and has at times been thought to repel mosquitoes.
Because the tonic water consumed to prevent malaria in
the 18th century was extremely bitter, gin was added
to make it more palatable. The bitter flavour of quinine

The
complemented the green notes of the gin really well and
soon the drinks popularity was established.
Although todays tonic water has no real

Gin & Tonic medical role (the amount of quinine in modern

tonic water is a fraction of what is needed for
the treatment of malaria), the Gin & Tonic still
remains a very popular drink. Tonic water
available today contains less quinine and
is consequently less bitter. Because of its connection to
warmer climates and its refreshing nature, this drink is
more popular during the warmer months.
We believe that this drinks success really is dependent of
the quality of the products that are used in its preparation.
We use Oxley Gin and we mix this together with Fever
Tree Natural Tonic Water because of its fresh, clean
citrus flavour. We believe that these two products mixed
together, served long over ice then garnished with a thin
sliver of fresh cucumber, is the perfect way to enjoy this
drink.

Variants and Mixology: - Ultimate Gin & Tonic:

Build into an ice-filled highball glass 35mls Oxley Gin and
All 8.95 top up with Fever Tree Natural Tonic Water. Garnish with
a sliver of fresh cucumber and serve with a stirrer.
- Gincognito:**
Plymouth Gin, fresh lime juice, fresh coriander, cane
syrup, Peychauds Bitters and chilled tonic water (NEW)
- Finn McCool:**
Finlandia Vodka, Amer Picon, house-made passion fruit
cordial, fresh lemon juice and chilled tonic water (NEW)

27
 Originally Slings were made with any spirit such as rum,
LONG and Refreshing Cognac, or Oude Genever mixed with water, sugar, ice and
perhaps some fresh nutmeg grated on top.
Slings have now become a bit misunderstood. Due to the
creation of the Singapore Sling, people nowadays mainly
associate the Sling with tropical juices and grenadine,
which is a travesty. The Singapore Sling was created
during the early 1900s, in Singapores fabulous Raffles
Hotel.

The Gin Sling

The Singapore Sling is often touted as a
"pre-tiki" tiki-style drink, due to its use
of fresh lime juice, pineapple juice and
other ingredients and was created by
Hainanese-Chinese Bartender, Mr. Ngiam
Tong Boon. Cocktail historian Ted Haigh believes that the
Singapore Sling concocted at Raffles these days bears no
resemblance to the original recipe. The earliest reference
anyone has found to a pineapple-based Singapore Sling is
from 1977 and this is from the nephew of Ngiam Tong.
Before the 1970s there were numerous variations cited in
newspapers and Cocktail books all over the world, which
led to claims that no-one knows the exact recipe for the
Singapore Sling.
The recipe we use is based on one listed in Stanley
C. Arthurs book, Famous New Orleans Drinks and How
to Mix Em (1937). That recipe contains Dry Gin, apricot
brandy, cherry brandy, lime juice and chilled seltzer.
We tweaked this recipe and added Sloe Gin, fresh ginger
extract, cane syrup and aromatic bitters - to make it a
truly refreshing variation.

Variants and Mixology: - Sloe Gin Ginger Sling:**

Build in an ice-filled highball glass 20mls Plymouth Gin,
All 8.95 20mls Sloe Gin, 7.5mls apricot brandy, 7.5mls cherry
liqueur, 5mls fresh ginger extract, 5mls cane syrup, 25mls
fresh lime juice, 2 dashes aromatic bitters. Stir briefly and
top up with chilled seltzer water. Garnish with 2 speared
raspberries and a mint sprig tip. Serve with a straw.
- Rangoon Sling:**
Plymouth Gin, curacao, house-made lime cordial, fresh
lime juice, aromatic bitters, orange bitters and chilled
seltzer water (NEW)
- Gin Sling:
Plymouth Gin, Martini Rosso, fresh lemon juice, cane syrup
and chilled seltzer water (NEW)
- Solomon Sling (Chad Solomon):
Plymouth Gin, kirsch eau de vie, cherry liqueur, fresh
lemon juice, cane syrup, aromatic bitters and chilled
seltzer water (NEW)

29
 The Tom Collins is named after a great hoax that occurred
LONG and Refreshing in 1874 and was kick-started by people living in New
York, Pennsylvania and elsewhere in the United States.
Mr. Collins was an imaginary villain who was meant
to be running around the cities bad-mouthing people.
The people he was supposedly bad-mouthing were
understandably upset and keen to know who this villain
was. Newspapers encouraged the hoax by printing
sightings and urging citizens to find the slanderer. More
often than not, the attempt resulted in the victims making

The Collins
complete fools of themselves.
The recipe for the Tom Collins drink first
appeared in the 1876 edition of Jerry
Thomass Bartenders Guide. Since New York
based Thomas would have been well aware of
the hoax, this is the most plausible source of
the name for the drink.
By 1878, the Tom Collins was being served in the
barrooms of New York City and elsewhere. It was
identified as a favourite drink in demand everywhere
in the 1878 edition of The Modern Bartenders Guide by
O. H. Byron. In that book, the Tom Collins served with
gin, whiskey and brandy were considered to be the
fashionable drinks of the moment.
A Collins is essentially a built drink that is served in a
Collins Glass (or large tumbler) over ice. It requires a
base-spirit of any kind, fresh lemon juice, cane syrup and
is topped with chilled seltzer water. Other components
may be added but these are the basic requirements which
constitute a Collins.

Variants and Mixology: - The Sicilian:**

Build over ice in a 16oz Collins Glass 20mls Plymouth
All 8.95 Gin, 20mls Campari, 10mls Cointreau, 15mls cane syrup,
25mls fresh lemon juice, 75mls fresh ruby grapefruit juice,
2 dashes orange bitters and top up with chilled seltzer
water. Garnish with an upturned wedge of fresh ruby
grapefruit and serve with a long straw.
- Eton's Blazer
Plymouth Gin, fresh lemon juice, house-made groseille
syrup, kirsch and chilled seltzer water (NEW)
- Mr. Harrison:**
Ketel One Vodka, curacao, fresh lemon juice, fresh
kumquats, fresh basil, house-made orgeat syrup and
chilled seltzer water (NEW)
- The Cincinnati Kid:**
Hennessy VS Cognac, elderberry eau de vie, fresh lemon,
housemade cinnamon syrup, allspice tincture and chilled
seltzer water.

31
 Some people reckon that this drink was created out of
LONG and Refreshing Prohibition-era Chicago, as gangs battled for the control
of superior alcoholic spirits. The Northside gang that
was led by Dion OBanion had secured the good spirits
pipeline, leaving only hooch and swill for the Southside
gang. Southside gang leader Frankie McErlane and his

The
cohort, former bartender and wealthy bootlegger Joseph
Saltis, mixed it with lots of sugar and citrus - and thus,
apparently, the drink was born. However there is

Southside
no evidence that the Southside was ever served in
Prohibition Chicago and it is well documented that
Saltis and McErlane focused only on forcing saloons
into selling their beer and beer alone.
Others reckon the drink originated at the Southside
Sportsmens Club in the Hamptons, Long Island. This could
well be the case as the men who fished and hunted at
this club did their golfing, riding, and racquet sports at
places such as the Rockaway Hunting Club, the Maidstone
Club and Piping Rock, which might explain how the drink
spread to become the definitive summer drink of the
country-club set.
The 21 Club in midtown Manhattan and a variety of
other post-Prohibition era clubs also make a claim to the
Southsides birthright. However, once again theres been
no direct chain of documentation produced to verify or
deny these claims. It is argued that Americans fleeing
Prohibition to go to Cuba brought the Southside recipe
with them, which resulted in the development of the
Mojito. There are accounts of a Punch-style Mojito being
in existence since before this time, but the long, refreshing
Mojito that we know today never actually showed itself
on a Cuban Cocktail menu until 1928. Sloppy Joes Bar in
Havana first featured it on their menu at that time and it
was made with either Gordons Gin or Bacardi.

Variants and Mixology: - The Southside:

Muddle together in a highball glass 35mls Plymouth Gin
All 8.95 (or light white rum), 8 spearmint leaves, 25mls fresh lime
juice, 7.5mls cane syrup and 2 dashes aromatic bitters.
Fill glass with cracked ice and add 50mls chilled seltzer
water. Churn ingredients and garnish with a fresh lime
wedge and a spring of fresh spearmint. Serve with a
straw.
- The Fernet Side:**
Plymouth Gin, Fernet Branca, fresh lime juice, fresh
spearmint, green cardamon tincture, cane syrup, Old
Fashioned Bitters and chilled seltzer water (NEW)
- Gin-Gin Mule (Audrey Saunders):
Plymouth Gin, fresh lime juice, fresh spearmint, fresh
ginger extract, aromatic bitters, cane syrup and chilled
seltzer water.

33
 John Martin would long claim that he invented the
LONG and Refreshing Moscow Mule along with his friend Jack Morgan, who
owned an Olde English-style pub on Hollywoods Sunset
Strip, called the Cock n Bull, which had a house brand
of ginger beer bottled in stoneware crocks. Martin and
Morgan said that a fit of inventive genius led them to
combine their respective products...

The In 1939, Martin was president of Heublein Inc., the most

important wine and spirit importer in the United States.
Only six years after Prohibition he made

Moscow Mule
the biggest gamble of this career. He
bought the rights to an unknown product
called Smirnoff Vodka from a Russian
migr who had set up a company not too
far from where Heublein was located. Martin was a man
of vision and he was determined to get Americans to try
his new vodka and so hit the road with it in tow.
Following a few abortive years, his big break came when
he met up with his old friend Jack Morgan who suggested
they try the vodka as a Cocktail base. Morgan had been
trying to market his homemade ginger beer for some
time and so they tried mixing it together with the vodka,
chipped ice, a lime sliver and a twist of cucumber peel.
Agreeing it was good, the men christened their libation
the Moscow Mule and served it in a distinctive copper mug
that wore the Moscow Mule brand and had a kicking mule
inscribed on the side.
Martins marketing ploy of the Moscow Mule was
ingenious; using a Polaroid camera, Martin asked barmen
to pose with a bottle of Smirnoff and a copper mug-filled
mixture. Leaving one copy in the bar, Martin visited the
next bar showing the competitors the sensational secret
Cocktail. The secret spread fast, the Moscow Mule soon
became the drink to call from New York to Los Angeles,
kicking its way into Cocktail history.

Variants and Mixology: - Old Mule Skinner:

Build in a Moscow Mule mug 50mls Smirnoff Vodka, 25mls
All 8.95 fresh lime juice, juice, 15mls cane syrup, 15mls fresh
pineapple juice, 10mls fresh ginger extract and 2 dashes
aromatic bitters. Fill mug with cracked ice and add 50mls
chilled seltzer water. Churn ingredients and garnish with
a fresh lime wedge, slice of cucumber and a sprig of fresh
spearmint. Serve with a straw.
- El Diablo:
Cazadores Reposado Tequila, Crme de Cassis, fresh lime
juice, juice, cane syrup, fresh ginger extract, aromatic
bitters and chilled seltzer water (NEW)

35
 Icy drink mixtures with rum, first identified as Swizzles
LONG and Refreshing and later as Rhum Swizzles, have been mentioned in
literature in a variety of locations since the mid 18th
century. In these earliest versions, the drink typically
consisted of one part of rum diluted with five or six parts
water (sometimes with additional aromatic ingredients),

The
which was mixed by rotating between the palms a special
forked stick made from a root.

RHum Swizzle
In his 1909 book, Beverages, Past and
Present: An Historical Sketch of Their
Production, Brotherhood Winery owner
Edward R. Emerson asserted that Rhum
Swizzles originated on the Caribbean island
of Saint Kitts. American naturalist and writer Frederick
Albion Ober noted in 1920 that the great drink of the
Barbados Ice Houses was The Swizzle; a combination
of liquors, sugar, and ice whisked to a froth by a rapidly
revolved Swizzle-Stick made from the stem of a native
plant, or an allspice bush.
Rhum Swizzles were the drink of choice at what was
purportedly the worlds first Cocktail party held in London
in 1924 by novelist Alec Waugh. The Rhum Swizzle is also
mentioned in Sinclair Lewiss 1925 novel Arrowsmith,
which is set in the fictional Caribbean Island of St. Hubert.
In 1930, the drink was referenced in a book written by
Joseph Hergesheimer, which refers to the drink containing
Bacardi Rum and bitters, as well as a Swizzle-Stick made
of sassafras.

Variants and Mixology: - Martinique Rhum Swizzle:

Swizzle over cracked ice in a mixing jug 50mls Clement
All 8.95 VSOP Rhum Agricole, 7.5mls falernum, 25mls fresh lime
juice, 10mls cane syrup and 2 dashes aromatic bitters.
Pour contents directly into a Highball Glass and top up
with fresh cracked ice. Garnish with a spent lime wedge
and mint sprig tip. Serve with a straw.
- Green Swizzle:
Rhum Agricole, fresh lime juice, house-made orgeat syrup,
falernum, Absinthe and chilled seltzer water (NEW)
- Queens Park Swizzle:
Morgans Dark Rum, falernum, fresh spearmint, fresh
lime juice, cane syrup, aromatic bitters and chilled seltzer
water.

37
 A Dark and Stormy (or Dark n Stormy) is an alcoholic
LONG and Refreshing Highball style drink that is popular in many British
Commonwealth countries, such as Australia and Bermuda.
It consists of dark rum, ginger beer and fresh lime served
over ice. The local rum is usually used, for example,
Bundaberg in Australia or Goslings in Bermuda.
In Bermuda, Dark n Stormy is a registered trademark of
Goslings Brothers Limited. It is described as Bermudas
National Drink, a description that is often applied to the
Rhum Swizzle as well.

Dark The Dark n' Stormy has its origins in the

ginger beer factory that was run as a

and Stormy
subsidiary of the Royal Naval Officers Club.
The sailors soon discovered that a splash
of the local Goslings Black Seal Rum was a
great enhancement to ginger beer.
The name is said to have originated when an old sailor,
looking through the liquid as he held his glass aloft,
observed that the drink was the colour of a cloud only
a fool or dead man would sail under.
Goslings holds the trademark on the Dark n' Stormy, so
making the drink with any other brand of rum is actually
unlawful!

Variants and Mixology: - Dark 'n' Stormy:

Into a ice-filled Highball Glass, pour 50mls Goslings Black
All 8.95 Seal Rum, 10mls falernum, 25mls fresh lime, 10mls fresh
ginger extract, 15mls cane syrup and top up with chilled
seltzer water. Stir briefly and garnish with a spent lime
wedge. Serve with a straw.
- Melancholy Punch:**
El Dorado 5yr Rum, El Dorado 3yr Rum, falernum, fresh
lime, fresh ginger extract, fresh pineapple juice, black
cardamom tincture, aromatic bitters and chilled seltzer
water (NEW)

39
 Mint Juleps were probably first served in the early to mid
LONG and Refreshing 1700s in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. Mint
Julep first appeared in print in a book by John Davis that
was published in London in 1803. In it he described the
Julep as a dram of spirituous liquor that has mint in it,
taken by Virginians in the morning.
The French word julep is derived from the Arabic word
julab, which was a drink that was made with water and

The
rose-petals. The beverage had a delicate and refreshing
scent that people thought would instantly enhance the
quality of their lives. When the julab was

Mint Julep
introduced to the Mediterranean region, the
native population replaced the rose-petals with
mint, a plant indigenous to the area. The Mint
Julep, as it was now called, grew in popularity
throughout Europe.
The first Mint Juleps were made with rum, rye whiskey
and other available spirits. Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey
wasnt widely distributed until later in the 19th century.
The drinks popularity came to rest in the agricultural
regions of the east and southeast, where farmers
awakened at dawn. The Julep was originally served as a
morning drink - the spirited equivalent of coffee in todays
society.
The tradition of sipping Mint Juleps migrated westward
to Kentucky, and soon became associated with horse
racing. In 1816, the Kentucky Gazette mentioned Mint
Julep Cups being awarded as prizes at horse races in the
Commonwealth.
Mint Juleps became Churchill Downs signature drink in
1938 when they started to serve the drink in souvenir
glasses for 75 cents a drink. Today Kentucky Derby serves
more than 80,000 Juleps over the two-day event.

Variants and Mixology: - Kentucky Mint Julep:

Muddle hard in a pre-chilled stainless steel Julep Cup
The Mint Julep All 8.95 50mls Woodford Reserve Bourbon, 12 mint leaves, 15mls
cane syrup, 10mls still water and 1 scoops cracked ice.
Churn ingredients thoroughly using spoon-end of bar-
spoon. Top up with more cracked ice and garnish with a
bouquet of fresh mint. Serve with a long straw.
- Real Georgia Mint Julep:
Hennessy VS Cognac, apricot eau-de-vie, fresh mint
leaves, cane syrup and still water.

41
Drinks of the
48 56
THE Caipirinha The Margarita
- Caipirinha - Margarita
- Whiskey Smash - Armilitta Chico
- The Elixer (NEW)** - Pinky Gonzalez (NEW)
- El Draque (NEW)

58
50 The White Lady
The Brandy - White Lady
Crusta - Blushing Lady (NEW)**
- Corpse Reviver #2
- Brandy Crusta
- Twentieth Century Cocktail (NEW)
- Sidecar
- The Supernatural (NEW)
60
- The Pheonix (NEW)**
- Champs Elysees
The Ramos Gin
Fiz(z)
52
The Bramble - Ramos Gin Fiz(z)
- Sloe Gin Fiz(z)
- Bramble (Dick Bradsell) - Fiz(z) de Violette
Style: - Mabel Berra (NEW)
- French Canadian (NEW)**
62
- Hollands Gin Fix (NEW) The Pisco Sour
- Pisco Sour
44 54
The Pegu Club The Clover Club - Whiskey Sour
- Dizzy Sour (NEW)
Cocktail - Clover Club
- Maidens Prayer
- Pegu Club Cocktail
- Celery Sour (NEW) 64
- Gimlet
- Aviation
The Jack Rose
- Satans Whiskers
- The Last Word - Jack Rose
- Cosmopolitan Daisy
- Aviator (NEW)
- Eureka (NEW)
46
The Daiquiri
66
- Daiquiri Naturale The Penicillin
- Hemingway Daiquiri
- Penicillin
- Companero (NEW)**
- Presbyterian
- Vava Voom (NEW)**
- Sour de Campo (NEW)
- Mulatta Daisy (NEW)

43
 The Pegu Club Cocktail received its first mention in Harry
Sharp and Sour MacElhones Barflies and Cocktails (1927). It was a drink
that was served at The Pegu Club in Yangon, Myanmar
(formerly Rangoon, Burma). As the British Empire
expanded throughout the 1800s, The Pegu Club was set
up as a Gentlemans Club to offer the British people who
had settled there a relaxing environment that was far
from home. The club may have been established as early
as 1866, as has been suggested in Daniel Masons book

The The Piano Tuner. It was well regarded by its patrons,

which included people like Rudyard Kipling, who even
wrote about it in his book From Sea to

Pegu Club Sea (1899):

The river of the lost footsteps and the
golden mystery upon its banks. The

Cocktail iniquity of Jordan shows how a man

may go to the Shway Dagon Pagoda
and see it not, and to the Pegu Club
and hear too much. A dissertation on mixed drinks.
Its up for debate whether or not the original recipe
used Roses Lime Juice, or fresh lime juice, since the
original recipe did not specify. Printed recipes after the
drinks1927 debut in Harry MacElhones book specifically
mention fresh lime juice, though. But it should also be
stated that gin and Roses Lime Juice were the perennial
colonial favourites.
Harry Craddock observed in his Savoy Cocktail Book
(1930) that the Pegu Club Cocktail has travelled, and is
asked for, around the world.
Today, the original Pegu Club acts as a barracks for the
Burmese Army.

Variants and Mixology: - Pegu Club Cocktail:

Shake together over ice 35mls Plymouth Gin, 15mls
All 7.95 curacao, 25mls fresh lime juice, 5mls cane syrup, 2 dashes
orange bitters and two dashes aromatic bitters. Strain
into a pre-chilled 5oz coupette and garnish with a lime
wedge.
- Gimlet:
Plymouth Gin, house-made lime cordial, fresh lime juice
and aromatic bitters.
- Satans Whiskers:
Plymouth Gin, Martini Dry & Rosso Vermouths, Cointreau,
fresh orange & lemon juices and orange bitters.
- Cosmopolitan Daisy:
Plymouth Gin, curacao, fresh lemon juice, house-made
raspberry cordial and chilled seltzer water.

45
 The Daiquiri was supposedly invented around 1898 in
Sharp and Sour the mining town of El Cobre, about 12km north-west of
Santiago de Cuba on Cubas eastern side. It was created
by an American mining engineer called Jennings Cox and
a Cuban engineer called Pagliuchi.
Legend states that the men mixed white Bacardi rum with

The lemons and sugar to help quench their thirst after a hard
days work. The drink was shaken over ice in a Cocktail
Shaker and served straight up. It was named

Daiquiri
Daiquiri after the beach - Playa Daiquiri - where
American troops disembarked during the Spanish-
American War at around about the same time.
The drink became very fashionable at the Venus Hotel
in Santiago de Cuba, where both American and Cuban
engineers would turn up each evening especially to order
it. Consumption of the drink remained localized until 1909,
when Admiral Lucius W. Johnson, a US Navy medical
officer, tried the drink and subsequently introduced it to
the Army and Navy Club in Washington DC.
The drink soon made an appearance at the Plaza Hotel in
Havana before making its way into the hands of Constante
Ribalaigua Vert, a bartender at the Floridita Bar on the
Calle Obispo. He added maraschino and cracked ice to
the original recipe and blended everything together in an
electric blender, thus creating the more commonly known
frozen version of the drink in 1912.

Variants and Mixology: - Daiquiri Naturale:

Shake hard over ice 50mls Bacardi Superior Rum, 15mls
All 7.95 fresh lime juice and 7.5mls cane syrup. Double-strain into
a 3oz coupette and garnish with a fresh lime wedge.
- Hemingway Daiquiri:
Bacardi Superior Rum, fresh lime juice, fresh grapefruit
juice and maraschino liqueur.
- Companero:**
Havana Club Anejo Rum, white Crme de Cacao, fresh
basil leaves, fresh lime juice and cane syrup (NEW)
- Vava Voom:**
Brugal Anejo Rum, apricot liqueur, dark Crme de Cacao,
fresh lime juice, cane syrup and aromatic bitters (NEW)
- Mulatta Daisy (Agostino Perrone):
Bacardi Superior, dark Crme de Cacao, fresh lime juice,
ground fennel seeds and cane syrup (NEW)

47
 The Caipirinha is the national Cocktail of Brazil, and
Sharp and Sour is enjoyed in restaurants, bars, and many households
throughout the country. Once almost unknown outside
Brazil, the drink has become more popular and more
widely available in recent years, in large part due to the
rising availability of first-rate brands of cachaa (the base
spirit used in its preparation) outside of Brazil.

The Cachaa is Brazils most common

distilled alcoholic beverage. Like rum, it
is made from sugarcane; or rather, its

Caipirinha made from sugarcane alcohol, obtained

from the fermentation of sugarcane juice
which is afterwards distilled. It has a
much stronger flavour and aroma than
rum because its distillation process
retains more impurities.
The word caipirinha is the diminutive version of
the word caipira, which refers to someone from the
countryside, the equivalent of the American English
hillbilly. Its exact translation is little countryside drink in
Portuguese, however, a native Brazilian hardly ever thinks
of a country person when ordering one, for in the mind
of a Brazilian, the word Caipirinha is mostly associated
with the drink itself.
It seems likely that the Caipirinha evolved as workers
on Brazils sugarcane plantations looked for a palatable
way to drink the cachaa they were helping to produce.
An alternative story has it that Portuguese slave traders
returning to Europe would use limes to prevent scurvy,
which they added to the cachaa theyd picked up in
Brazil and combined with sugar for sweetness.

Variants and Mixology: - Caipirinha:

Shake over cracked ice in a steel flask 60mls Leblon
All 8.45 Cachaca, 1 whole lime cut into small chunks, 1 teaspoon
golden sugar and 5mls cane syrup. Empty contents
directly into a pre-chilled whiskey tumbler, then top with
fresh cracked ice and garnish with a lime wedge. Serve
with a short straw.
- Whiskey Smash:
Woodford Reserve Bourbon, fresh lemon wedges, fresh
mint and cane syrup
- The Elixer:**
Sazerac 6yr Rye Whiskey, Green Chartreuse, fresh lemon
juice, fresh pineapple juice, fresh mint and cane syrup
(NEW)
- El Draque (Drakes Mojito):
Cane Aguardiente, fresh lime juice, fresh mint leaves and
cane syrup (NEW)

49
 Like the Sazerac, the Brandy Crusta is a product of
Sharp and Sour New Orleans in the mid-nineteenth century - and more
precisely the product of Joseph Santini who took over the
City Exchange Bar in New Orleans ( right in the heart of
the French Quarter) around 1850. The Crusta builds on
the traditional Cocktail of spirit, sugar, bitters and water
by adding citrus juice to the mix and also introduces a

The rather elaborate garnish, which no doubt helped with its

popularity in those days.
The aforementioned garnish is a sugar-rim on the

Brandy outside of a glass with the skin of a lemon around

it acting as a second lip to the glass. This was
purely a local drink until Jerry Thomas, who must

Crusta have met Santini and/ or had his drinks when he

was in the Crescent City during the 1850s. Thomas
first documented it in his 1862 book as a drink
containing brandy, curaao, fresh lemon juice and
simple syrup.
Seventy years later Harry Craddock included a version in
his 1931 Savoy Cocktail Book which gained maraschino
liqueur and omitted the sugar syrup completely; resulting
in a much sourer version of the original drink. This
appears to be the recipe most modern interpretations of
the Crusta come from.
The Crusta is widely considered to be the drink that
planted a seed of change in the Cocktail world; a seed
that would lay dormant until the 1890s, when suddenly
everyone started putting lemon juice and lime juice and
even orange juice into their Cocktails.

Variants and Mixology: - Brandy Crusta:

Shake over ice 35mls Hennessy VS Cognac, 15mls curacao,
All 7.95 5mls maraschino liqueur and 20mls fresh lemon juice.
Strain into a small sugar-rimmed wine glass. Garnish with
a long spiral of lemon zest perched upon the rim of the
glass.
- Sidecar:
Hennessy VS Cognac, Cointreau, Grand Marnier and fresh
lemon juice.
- The Supernatural:
Calvados, Strega, fresh lemon juice and dashes of orange
bitters (NEW)
- The Phoenix:**
Plum-infused Poitin, poire eau de vie, fresh lemon, local
flower honey and pure County Armagh apple juice (9.95)
- Champs Elysees:
Hennessy VS Cognac, Green Chartreuse, fresh lemon juice,
cane syrup and aromatic bitters.

51
 The Bramble is one of the most popular drinks created
Sharp and Sour since the start of the current Cocktail renaissance. Seen
on most Cocktail lists all over the UK and known across
the world, this drink epitomises a modern classic. Its
simple, fresh, fruity and utterly delicious and was created
by Dick Bradsell whilst working in Freds Bar in Soho
during the mid 1980s.

The Harry Craddocks Savoy Cocktail Book (1930) lists a drink

called a Mississippi Mule, which is a simple
drink composed of 2/3 Dry Gin, 1/6 fresh

Bramble lemon juice and 1/6 Crme de Cassis; another

comparison is called the Blackberry Beauty
which consists of 1 part lime juice, 2 parts
blackberry liqueur and 5 parts gin which pops
up in David Emburys Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1948).
The Bramble relates very closely to one particular family of
Cocktail, the Fix. The Fix was a Sour-style drink that used
a fancy syrup or cordial and many bartenders employed
the use of raspberry of blackberry cordials. Jerry Thomas
opted for raspberry in his Hollands Gin Fix in 1862.
Dick Bradsell is the Godfather of the modern Cocktail era.
Hes the reason there is now a string of professional
bartenders all over the UK creating elegant and
sophisticated drinks. He pioneered simplicity with all his
drinks and believed fantastic drinks should not be overly
complicated, as drinks which are hard to make dont have
longevity. He created a whole string of modern classics but
The Bramble is by far the most famous of these.

Variants and Mixology: - Bramble (Dick Bradsell):

Shake over ice 35mls Bombay Sapphire Gin, 25mls fresh
All 8.45 lime juice, 15mls Crme de Mure, 10mls cane syrup, 2
fresh blackberries. Strain into a pre-chilled rocks glass
over cracked ice and garnish with a speared lime wheel
and whole blackberry. Serve with a short straw.
- Mabel Berra
Plymouth Gin, Sloe Gin, Swedish Punsch, fresh lemon
juice and cane syrup (NEW)
- French Canadian:**
Canadian Whisky, fresh lemon juice, cane syrup, Crme de
Mure and dashes Absinthe (NEW)
- Hollands Gin Fix:
Bols Genever, fresh lemon juice and house-made
raspberry syrup (NEW)

53
 The Clover Club was an organization that met at the
Sharp and Sour Bellevue Stratford Hotel Bar in Philadelphia from the
late 1800s until round about the start of the First World
War. It was a club dedicated to fine eating, drinking and
all round general revelry and its members were mainly
lawyers, actors, writers and business types.
No-one knows for sure when the drink bearing the same
name was created or who it was that created it, but it is
thought to have originated quite late in the clubs history -

The some people suggesting around 1910.

Some recipes call for Vermouth in the drink and some

Clover
dont; some recipes call for the use of fresh raspberries
and some call for raspberry syrup; some suggest using
fresh lime juice instead of lemon juice - its all down to
personal preference really. We use Sweet Vermouth in

Club our version because we feel it complements the raspberry

syrup really well and lends this drink a lovely richness
that it doesnt otherwise have.
A Clover Club Cocktail that has been garnished with a
mint leaf is called a Clover Leaf.

Variants and Mixology: - Clover Club:

Dry-shake 30mls Plymouth Gin, 30mls Martini Rosso,
All 7.95 15mls house-made raspberry cordial, 20mls fresh lemon
juice, 2 fresh raspberries and the white of half an egg.
Shake again over ice and then strain into a 7oz coupette.
Garnish with (or without) a mint leaf.
- Maidens Prayer:
Plymouth Gin, Cointreau, fresh lemon & orange juices,
cane syrup and egg-white.
- Celery Sour:
Plymouth Gin, fresh lemon juice, house-made pineapple
cordial, celery bitters and egg-white (NEW)
- Aviation:
Plymouth Gin, Creme de Yvette, fresh lemon juice and
cane syrup.
- The Last Word:
Plymouth Gin, Green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur,
fresh lime juice and cane syrup.

55
 Salvador Negrete claims his son Danny created this drink.
Sharp and Sour The family story goes that Danny got his own bar which
was part of the Garci Crispo Hotel. During this time his
brother was getting married and for his wedding present
Danny created a special drink which he called Margarita
- after the lady David was marrying. This all took place
in Puebla Mexico in 1936. The salt rim explanation comes
from Margarita supposedly liking salt with whatever she

The ate or drank and, therefore, she salt-rimmed the glass!

Another story comes from Sara
Morales who is an expert in the field

Margarita of Mexican folklore. She claimed the

drink was created by Dona Bertha,
who owned a place called Berthas Bar
which was located in Taxco Mexico.
She apparently created this potion in 1930. She makes
an appearance in Charles H.Bakers 1946 edition of the
Gentlemans Companion and he says: Tequila Special a
la Bertita, garnered, among other things, in lovely Taxco,
in February of 1937. This is a shocker from the place of
Bertita, across the cathedral steps in Taxco It is a cooler
as well and Americans find it very unusual. Take 2 ponies
of good Tequila, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp sugar, and 2
dashes of orange bitters. Stir in a Collins Glass with lots of
small ice, then fill with club soda.
The last story is about a wealthy Dallas socialite called
Margarita Sames. She claimed she came up with the drink
for her friends at her Acapulco summer home in 1948.
The friends happened to be famous hotel and restaurant
people who included the likes of Tommy Hilton. Her
formula was 2 parts Tequila, 1 part Cointreau and 1 part
lime juice and she apparently added the salt rim due to
her guests liking their Tequila with a lick of salt.
Regardless of who first created this drink, the Margarita
has since become one of the most popular Cocktails in the
world today.

Variants and Mixology: - Margarita:

Shake over ice 40mls Cazadores Blanco Tequila, 20mls
All 7.95 fresh lime juice and 20mls Agave Sec. Strain into a pre-
chilled salt rimmed 5oz coupette and garnish with a lime
wedge.
- Armilitta Chico:
Cazadores Blanco Tequila, fresh lime juice, house-made
grenadine, cane syrup, orange flower water and chilled
seltzer water.
- Pinky Gonzalez (Tequila Mai-Tai):
Cazadores Reposado Tequila, curacao, fresh lime juice
and house-made orgeat syrup (NEW)

57
 This fine drink is essentially a gin Sidecar. However, for
Sharp and Sour being such a simple twist on a Sidecar, the White Lady
has a very controversial history. Harry Craddock of the
American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London and Harry
MacElhone of Harrys New York Bar in Paris have both
said they created this drink and both men have plausible
theories behind its creation.
Harry MacElhone created his first version of the White
Lady Cocktail in 1919 whilst working at Ciros Club in

The London. His version there was a horrid mixture of Cognac,

Dry Gin and Crme de Menthe. Harry
then took over a bar in Paris in 1923

White Lady and renamed it Harrys New York

Bar. It was while here that Harry
wrote a book called Barflies and
Cocktails (1927), in which contained
the recipe for his 1919 White Lady. It took a further two
years before he changed that recipe by substituting the
brandy and Crme de Menthe for fresh lemon juice and
Cointreau - and thus the White Lady we know today was
born.
However, Harry Craddocks Savoy Cocktail Book (1930)
also has a White Lady listed in it and it was MacElhones
second White Lady recipe that was featured. Many people
argue that it was Craddock himself who created the
second version of the drink but to this day, no-one knows
for sure. Although it should be said that the White Lady
was extremely popular in the Savoy during those days
and according to Belfast bartending legend Joe Gilmore
- who was the head bartender in the Savoy from 1955 to
1976 - it was the favourite drink of Laurel and Hardy.

Variants and Mixology: - White Lady:

Dry shake 25mls Plymouth Gin, 25mls Cointreau, 25mls
All 7.95 fresh lemon juice, a dash of Absinthe and the white of half
an egg. Shake again over ice and strain into a pre-chilled
7oz coupette. Garnish with a star-anise.
- Blushing Lady:**
42 Below Vodka, fresh pomegranate juice, fresh white
grapefruit & lemon juices, house-made orgeat syrup and a
dribble of rosewater.(NEW)
- Corpse Reviver #2:
Plymouth Gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, fresh lemon juice
and a dash of Absinthe.
- Twentieth Century Cocktail:
Plymouth Gin, white Creme de Cacao, Lillet Blanc and
fresh lemon juice (NEW)

59
 The Ramos Gin Fiz(z) was a take on the more common
Sharp and Sour Gin Fiz(z) variety and was not known until 1888 when
Henry C. Ramos came to New Orleans and purchased The
Imperial Cabinet Saloon from Emile Sunier. The Cabinet
was located at the corner of Gravier and Carondelet
Streets and above it, on the second storey, was a popular
restaurant called The Old Hickory. It was there that

The Henry Ramos served the Gin Fiz(z) that departed so

radically from the other frothy gin mixtures served in New
Orleans saloons of that time. For it was only at the Ramos

Ramos
establishment that one could one get what
tasted like a real Gin Fiz(z). Visitors and
locals alike flocked in their droves to the

Gin Fiz(z)
Ramos dispensary to down the frothy draft
that Ramos alone knew how to make to
perfection. One poetical sipper eulogized it
thus: Its like drinking a flower!
The Ramos Gin Fiz(z) had remained a secret until the
enactment of Prohibition in the US. As Charles
H. Baker stated in the Gentlemans Companion (1939):
The Original Gin Fiz(z), which was long a secret of the
Brothers Ramos, and which was given out by them, in a
fit of generous aberration during our alleged & ridiculous
drought of the Prohibition era. Thinking that the formula,
like any history dealing with the dead arts, should be
engraved on the tablets of history, it was given to the
world after the now rejuvenated Ramos Bar closed for the
dry era. The main secret of excellence was the platoon
of 8 or 1 doz blacamoors who passed the shaker one
shoulders to the next, after each had literally shaken his
heart out chilling the drink...
The Ramos Gin Fiz(z) was different from the regular Gin
Fiz(z) in that it incorporated vanilla essence, orange
flower water and cream however, the signature of the
drink was that it required a very vigorous shake in order
to achieve the appropriate ropy texture.

Variants and Mixology: - Ramos Gin Fiz(z):

Dry-Shake 50mls Old Tom Gin, 15mls fresh lemon juice,
All 8.45 10mls fresh lime juice, 15mls single cream, 4 dashes
orange flower water, 15mls cane syrup and the white of
half an egg. Shake again over ice and strain neat into a
pre-chilled Fiz(z) Glass. Top up with chilled seltzer water
and garnish with a lime wedge. Serve with a straw.
- Sloe Gin Fiz(z):
Plymouth Gin, Sloe Gin, fresh lemon juice, cane syrup,
chilled seltzer water and the white of half an egg.
- Fiz(z) de Violette:
Plymouth Gin, Creme de Yvette, fresh lemon juice, cane
syrup, chilled seltzer water and the white of half an egg.

61
 Politics, religion, genocide, division of land, and prejudice
Sharp and Sour are well known reasons for conflict over the last few
centuries, but alas two countries have found something
new to fight over: a Cocktail - and more specifically, the
Pisco Sour! Pisco is the national spirit of both Peru and
Chile and the Pisco Sour is the national drink of both
nations. Both these countries have claimed the spirit and

The drink as their own invention and creation. Pisco generates

a lot of discussion in both countries
and both take their heritage of this

Pisco Sour drink very seriously indeed. Peru

holds a national Pisco Sour day on the
first Saturday of every February and
Chile holds its on 15th May. The two
countries have accounts of how they created the spirit but
its the mixed drink that we shall focus on.
The Peruvian story is quite simple: an American called
Victor Morris created the drink in his own bar called The
Morris Bar in the capital city Lima. He created the drink
in 1920 as a twist on the Whiskey Sour and his drink
became very popular with the locals - so popular in fact
the major hotels of the city began serving the drink to
their guests from all corners of the world.
The Chilean version of events predates the Peruvian story
by 50 years but has yet to be substantiated. A Peruvian
paper called El Comericedo de Lquique proposed in 1872
that an English sailor called Elliot Stubb was granted leave
to disembark his ship Sunshine to stay in the portside
town of Lquique to settle and open his own bar. Once he
got his place he started to experiment with his beloved
whiskey.
He added Limon de Pica and a dribble of sugar and he
obtained perfection. The drink spread to all social clubs
and bars of the area and it was absolutely adored. It was
said that he often swapped whiskey for the native Pisco
in his beloved drink and therefore created the Pisco Sour.
Lquique became a Chilean city in 1884.

Variants and Mixology: - Pisco Sour:

Dry shake 50mls Pisco Brandy, 15mls fresh lime juice,
All 8.45 10mls fresh lemon juice, 10mls cane syrup and the white
of half an egg. Shake again over ice and then strain neat
into a small pre-chilled wine glass. Add a dash Amargo
Bitters and garnish with a lemon twist and fresh cherry.
- Whiskey Sour:
Woodford Reserve Bourbon, fresh lemon juice, cane syrup
and egg-white.
- Dizzy Sour:
Havana Club 3yr Rum, Sazerac 6yr Rye Whiskey,
Benedictine, fresh lemon juice, cane syrup and egg white
(NEW)

63
 The Jack Rose was one of the biggest drinks around
Sharp and Sour from its inception in 1905 right through until the start of
Prohibition. It is made of Applejack, citrus and grenadine.
There are many contrary beliefs as to how this drink
came about. Some say its due to the fact that Applejack is
used and it is rose coloured. Another story is documented
by Albert Stevens Crockett who authored the Waldorf

The Astorias Cocktail Book (1931). He stated in this book that

it is so-called because of its pink colour, the exact shade
of a Jacqueminot rose, when properly

Jack Rose concocted.

Then there is also the tale of Jacob Bald
Rose Rosenzweig who was a famous
gambler and underworld figure during the early 1900s.
One of the most important books ever published regarding
Cocktails again proved its worth with new evidence
published on the Jack Rose. That book is Imbibe by Dave
Wondrich and in it he unearths a paper from 1905 called
the Police Gazette, which states: Frank J. May, better
known as Jack Rose, is the inventor of a very popular
Cocktail by that name, which has made him famous as
a mixologist. Frank May was believed to have been
employed at Gene Sullivans Caf in Jersey City and its
also believed that it was here he created the Jack Rose
- which would make sense, as the home of Applejack is
indeed New Jersey.
The Jack Rose is dependable in that it can be completely
different depending on what recipe you follow. In Robert
Vermeires Cocktails and How to Mix (1922), he says
that a Jack Rose can be made with raspberry syrup or
grenadine. In his book Famous New Orleans Drinks and
How to Mix Em (1937), Stanley Arthur states that it should
be only made with lemon juice and Peychauds bitters.
The recipe we follow however is quite similar to Jacob
Straubs version from his book Drinks (1914), and which,
coincidentally, is one of the first Jack Rose recipes to be
documented in a bartenders guide.

Variants and Mixology: - Jack Rose:

Shake over ice 35mls Applejack Bonded Proof, 25mls
All 7.95 fresh lime juice, 15mls house-made grenadine, 5mls cane
syrup. Strain into a pre-chilled 3oz coupette and garnish
with a green apple slice.
- Aviator:
Havana Club Blanco, Applejack Bonded Proof, fresh lime
juice and house-made grenadine (NEW)
- Eureka:
Calvados, Sloe Gin, fresh lime juice and cane syrup (NEW)

65
 This drink is a contemporary classic that has already
Sharp and Sour travelled the world. It was dreamt up by Samuel Ross
of Milk & Honey in New York and is an excellent take
on a Whiskey Sour. Talking about the drink, Sam says:
The year was 2004 and while FC Porto were winning
the Champions League, the last Oldsmobile was rolling
off the assembly line in Lansing, Michigan. We were
playing around with a new shipment of Compass Box at

The Little Branch, in particular, Whiskey Sour variations. So

I essentially did a riff on a Gold Rush (a Bourbon Sour
done with honey) which could also be called

Penicillin an Old Joe Sour or Honey Sour if referring

to Sauciers Bottoms Up? The Bourbon
was replaced with the Asyla and the honey
was cut in half and bumped up with our
sweetened fresh ginger juice. It had a little
spice and tang but it was missing an element - smoke.
A little drizzle of the Peat Monster on top of the massive ice
block was the trick.
This drink plugged a gap in the marketplace. Bartenders
were not experimenting with any good Scotches. I really
wanted to utilize the smokiness of an Islay without
overpowering the Cocktail. This Cocktail also appealed to
both the sexes and is what I call, a "gateway" Whiskey
Cocktail, as it is a good starting point for a Scotch novice,
but also has a ton of complexity to satisfy any hardened
whiskey drinker.
It is called Penicillin due to the fact that it is made using
substances which are all naturally produced.

Variants and Mixology: - Penicillin:

Shake together over ice in a cocktail shaker 40mls Famous
All 8.45 Grouse Whisky, 25mls fresh lemon juice, 15mls honey
syrup, 10mls fresh ginger extract. Strain into a rocks
glass over cubed ice and float 10mls Tobermory Islay Malt
on top. Garnish with a slice of house-made crystallized
ginger and serve with a short straw.
- Presbyterian:
Famous Grouse Whisky, house-made ginger beer, fresh
lemon juice, chilled ginger ale and Peychauds Bitters.
- Sour de Campo:
Pisco Brandy, fresh lemon juice, fresh ginger extract
and honey syrup (NEW)

67
Drinks of the 70
The Fog Cutter
- Fog Cutter
- Mai Tai
- General Batista**
- Kon Tiki Ti Punch**

72
The Little
Polynesian
- Little Polynesian**
- Spiced Rum**
- Nui Nui (NEW)

74
The
Beachcomber
Zombie
- Beachcomber Zombie
Style: - Tortuga (NEW)
- Navy Grog (NEW)

69
 With its blend of rum, brandy, and gin, the Fog Cutter is
Tropical & exotic the "Long Island Iced Tea" of exotic drinks. It doesnt cut
fog so much as put you in one, which even its inventor
had to admit. Fog Cutter, hell, Trader Vic wrote of his
creation, After two of these, you wont even see the
stuff!

The
Eventually Vic took pity on the befogged and replaced his
1940s original with the lighter Samoan Fog Cutter, diluting
the originals strength by blending it with crushed ice
instead of shaking.

Fog Cutter After the Mai Tai and the Scorpion,

the Fog Cutter became Vics third
most famous concoction. As such
it was offered in many other
restaurants, in many other permutations - not because
Vics recipe was proprietary and rivals had to guess at
it (as was the case with Donn Beachs closely guarded
secret potions), but because the version Vic published
in his 1947 Bartenders Guide provided a template that
invited experimentation. A Scandinavian restaurant could
make the Fog Cutter its own by floating Danish aquavit
instead of Sherry, while bartenders who preferred lime to
lemon could make the switch with impunity.

Variants and Mixology: - Fog Cutter:

Shake over ice 15mls Havana Club Anejo Rum, 15mls
All 8.45 Hennessy VS Cognac, 15mls Plymouth Gin, 15mls fresh
orange juice, 30mls fresh lemon juice, 10mls house-made
orgeat syrup, 5mls cane syrup and 10mls Fino Sherry.
Strain inot an ice-filled Punch Goblet and garnish with an
orange spiral, lemon wedge and a mint spring tip. Serve
with a straw
- Mai Tai:
Appleton VX Rum, Myers Dark Rum, curacao, house-made
orgeat syrup and fresh lime juice.
- General Batista:**
Havana Club Anejo Rum, fresh orange and lime juice,
house-made grenadine, cane syrup, dashes aromatic
bitters and a Dark Jamaican Rum float.
- Kon Tiki Ti Punch:**
Appleton VX Rum, fresh lime juice, house-made
grenadine, fresh pineapple chunks, house-made guava
sherbet, cane syrup and chilled seltzer water.

71
 This divine drink is a simple twist on the most famed
Tropical & exotic tropical drink, the Mai Tai. The Mai Tai was created by
Victor Bergeron in 1944 whilst he was tending bar in
Oakland, San Francisco. Trader Vic (he changed his name
in the early 1930s) wrote many books covering his life,
food and drinks and he has spoken many times about the
creation of this magical mixture.
In 1944, after success with several exotic rum drinks,
I felt a new drink was needed. I thought about all the
really successful drinks; martinis,

The Little
manhattans, daiquiris... all basically
simple drinks. I was at the service bar
in my Oakland restaurant. I took down a

Polynesian
bottle of 17-year-old rum. It was J. Wray
Nephew from Jamaica; surprisingly
golden in colour, medium bodied, but
with the rich pungent flavour particular
to the Jamaican blends. The flavour
of this great rum wasnt meant to be overpowered with
heavy additions of fruit juices and flavourings. I took a
fresh lime, added some orange curacao from Holland, a
dash of rock candy syrup, and a dollop of French Orgeat,
for its subtle almond flavour. A generous amount of shaved
ice and vigorous shaking by hand produced the marriage
I was after. Half the lime shell went in for colour... I stuck
in a branch of fresh mint and gave two of them to Ham
and Carrie Guild, friends from Tahiti, who were there that
night. Carrie took one sip and said, Mai Tai - Roa Ae. In
Tahitian this means Out of This World - The Best. Well,
that was that. I named the drink Mai Tai.
This went on to become one of the biggest selling drinks
during the Tiki period which ran from 1934 right through
to the 1970s, but since the re-emergence of Tiki drinks
all over the world in recent years the Mai Tai has now
become popular again.

Variants and Mixology: - Little Polynesian:**

Muddle in a boston can 2 kumquats, 25mls fresh lime
All 8.45 juice, 10mls cane syrup, then add 10mls curacao, 20mls
Myers Dark Rum, 20mls Appleton VX Rum and a dash of
orange bitters. Shake over ice and strain into a rocks glass
filled with cracked ice. Garnish with 2 lime wheels and
2 kumquat wheels. Serve with a short straw.
- Spiced Rum:**
Spiced Rum, dark Crme de Cacao, fresh orange and lime
juice, cane syrup and sugarcane molasses.
- Nui Nui:
Havana Club Anejo Rum, Piemento Dram, fresh lime and
orange juice, house-made cinnamon syrup, vanilla extract
and aromatic bitters (NEW)

73
 The Zombie first appeared in the late 1930s and was
Tropical & exotic invented by Donn Beach (formerly Ernest Raymond
Beaumont-Gannt) of Hollywoods Don the Beachcomber
Restaurant. It was popularized soon afterwards at the
1939 New York Worlds Fair.
Beach concocted it one afternoon for a friend who had

The
dropped by his restaurant before flying to San Francisco.
The friend left after

Beachcomber
having consumed three
of them. He returned
several days later to
complain that he had

Zombie
been turned into a
zombie for his entire trip. Athough quite fruity, the Zombie
is an extremely potent drink and for many years the Don
the Beachcomber Restaurants limited their customers to
two Zombies apiece.
Beach was very cautious with the recipes of his original
Cocktails. His instructions for his bartenders contained
coded references to ingredients such as Donns Mix, the
contents of which were only known to him. As a result
of Beachs secrecy and the enormous popularity of these
drinks during the Tiki craze of the 1940s, countless
variations of the Zombie emerged.
Beachs original recipes for the Zombie and other Tiki
drinks have been recently published in Sippin Safari by
Jeff Beachbum Berry. Berry researched the origins of
many Tiki Cocktails, interviewing bartenders from Don the
Beachcombers and other original Tiki places and digging
up other original sources. Most notably, Sippin Safari
details Beachs development of the Zombie with three
different recipes dating from 1934 to 1956.

Variants and Mixology: - Beachcomber Zombie:

Shake over ice 35mls Bacardi Gold Rum, 35mls Appleton
All 15.95 VX Rum, 25mls Lemon Hart 151, 10mls falernum, 20mls
fresh lime juice, 10mls fresh grapefruit juice, 2 dashes
Absinthe, 5mls house-made grenadine, 5mls cane syrup
and 3 dashes Angostura Bitters. Strain into an ice-filled
Zombie Flute and garnish with fresh mint, lime and an
orange zest spiral. Serve with a long straw.
- Tortuga:
Bacardi 151, Lemon Hart Demerera 151, Martini Rosso,
White Crme de Cacao, curacao, house-made grenadine,
fresh orange, lemon & lime juices (NEW)
- Navy Grog:
Bacardi Gold Rum, Myers Dark Jamaican Rum, fresh
grapefruit and lime juices, honey syrup and chilled seltzer
water (NEW)

75
Drinks 78
The Absinthe Drip
- The Absinthe Drip

of the
80
The Sazerac
- Sazerac
- Remember the Maine (NEW)
- Le Vieux Carre (NEW)

Short &
82
The Manhattan
- Manhattan
- Brooklyn
- Affinity
84
The Old-Fashioned

Potent
- The Old-Fashioned
- Corn and Oil
- Rusty Nail

86
The Dry Martini

Style:
- Dry Martini
- Martinez
- Fifty-Fifty (NEW)
- Vesper Martini

88
The Negroni
- Negroni
- Lucien Gaudin (NEW)
- Boulevardier (NEW)

77
 Initially created in Switzerland at the dusk of the 18th
Short & Potent Century, prototype Absinthe combined wormwood,
melissa, angelica, hyssop and other herbs into a palatable
alcoholic concoction. The cure-all ingredients had
served as medicine for various ailments for ages, though
the chief herb, artemisia absinthium, was particularly
known for its digestive and parasite-dispelling properties.

The
Absinthe soon made its way into the ranks of the French
Army, where it served as a common health tonic until the
soldiers grew fond of the unique, fragrant and very high-
proof beverage.

Absinthe Drip The armys love of the emerald aperitif had

spread by mid-century to the trendy crowds
of Parisian cafes and high society snobs who
craved this new and unusual treat. The Absinthe
market grew like wildfire to include both such founding
distilleries as Pernod Fils and third-rate brands unafraid
to use harsh and harmful solvents and dyes to get the
desired green hue.
Traditionally, Absinthe is prepared by placing a sugar
cube on top of a specially designed slotted spoon and
then placing the spoon on the glass which has been filled
with a shot of Absinthe. Ice-cold water is then poured or
dripped over the sugar cube so that the water is slowly
and evenly displaced into the Absinthe until the drink is
diluted to a ratio between 3:1 and 5:1. During this process,
the components that are not soluble in water (mainly those
from anise, fennel, and star anise) come out of solution
and cloud the drink. The resulting milky opalescence is
called the "louche". The addition of water is important
because it causes the herbs to blossom and brings out
many of the flavours originally over-powered by the anise.
Originally a waiter would serve a dose of Absinthe, ice
water in a carafe and sugar separately, and the drinker
would prepare it to their preference. With increased
popularity, the Absinthe Fountain, a large jar of ice water
on a base with spigots, came into use. It allowed a number
of drinks to be prepared at once, and with a hands-free
drip, patrons were able to socialize while louching
a glass.

Mixology: - Absinthe Drip:

Pour 50mls Absinthe into an Absinthe Glass then put a
All 8.45 slotted Absinthe Spoon with 1 white sugar cube across
top of glass. Let water drip slowly (drip by drip) from
Absinthe Fountain over sugar cube into glass. Once sugar
cube has dissolved, add water until a 4:1 ration has been
achieved. Stir water and Absinthe mix and garnish with
a star anise.

79
 The Sazerac is the quintessential New Orleans Cocktail
Short & Potent and is actually one of the oldest known Cocktails. The
original drink is based on a combination of Cognac
and bitters created by Antoine Amde Peychaud in the
1830s. Peychaud was a Creole apothecary who moved

The
to New Orleans from the West Indies and set up shop in
the French Quarter in the early part of the 19th Century.
To relieve the ailments of his clients, he dispensed a
proprietary mix of aromatic bitters from an old family

Sazerac recipe handed down to him. Around the 1830s he

became famous for a Toddy that he made for his friends.
The Toddy consisted of French brandy mixed with his
secret blend of bitters, a splash of water and a bit of sugar.
Before long, the demand for this drink led to its being
served in bars throughout the city (euphemistically called
coffee houses in those days). One of these, a large bar
on Exchange Alley owned by a gentleman named Sewell
Taylor, was called the Merchants Exchange Coffeehouse.
Not long after, Mr. Taylor started a new business as a
liquor importer, with one of his most popular products
being a particular brand of Cognac called Sazerac-du-
Forge et fils. Someone else then took over the bar, changed
its name to the Sazerac Coffee House and history was
made.
Around 1870, a gentleman by the name of Thomas Handy
took over as proprietor of the Sazerac Coffee House and
the primary ingredient in the Cocktail was changed from
Cognac to rye whiskey due to popular American tastes as
well as to the difficulty of obtaining Cognac at the time.
Somewhere along the line a dash of Absinthe was added,
usually used to coat the glass with the excess discarded.
Eventually Absinthe was banned and was replaced by a
locally-produced pastis called Herbsaint. Herbsaint is ideal
in a Sazerac and is the product that youll find is used
most often in New Orleans to make Sazeracs.

Variants and Mixology: - Sazerac:

Stir over ice in a mixing glass 30mls Woodford Reserve
All 8.45 Bourbon, 30mls Hennessy VS Cognac, 7.5mls cane syrup,
3 dashes Peychauds Bitters and 3 dashes of Angostura
Bitters. Strain neat into a pre-chilled Absinthe rinsed
whiskey tumbler and spray with lemon oils.
- Remember the Maine:
Sazerac 6yr Rye Whiskey, Martini Rosso, cherry liqueur
and Absinthe (NEW)
- Le Vieux Carre:
Hennessy VS Cognac, Sazerac 6yr Rye Whiskey, Martini
Rosso, Benedictine, Peychauds Bitters and Angostura
Bitters (NEW)

81
 A popular theory suggests that The Manhattan Cocktail
Short & Potent originated at the Manhattan Club in New York City in
the early 1870s, where it was invented for a banquet
hosted by Jennie Jerome (Lady Randolph Churchill,
Winstons mother) in honour of presidential candidate
Samuel J. Tilden. The success of the banquet made the

The
drink fashionable, later prompting several people to
request the drink by referring to the name of the club
where it originated - the Manhattan Cocktail.

Manhattan
However Cocktail historian Dave Wondrich argues
that this theory is just not true. He states that:
Contemporary newspaper accounts of the two
Manhattan Club banquets held for Tildens election
make no mention of La Jerome, nor indeed
of any woman present - these were strictly men only
affairs. And the main banquet was held on the same day
Winston Churchill was christened, at Blenheim. The only
connection between her and the Manhattan Club was
that, some years later, the Club was ensconced in a house
her father owned.
There are prior references to various similar Cocktail
recipes called Manhattan and served in the Manhattan
area. By one account it was invented in the 1860s by a
bartender named Black at a bar on Broadway.
The first time the drink appeared in print was in THE
DEMOCRAT, on 5 September 1882. It read: Talking about
compounders of drinks reminds me of the fact that never
before has the taste for mixed drinks been so great as
at present and new ideas, and new combinations are
constantly being brought forward. It is but a short time
ago that a mixture of whiskey, Vermouth and bitters came
into vogue. It went under various names-- Manhattan
Cocktail, Turf Club Cocktail, and Jockey Club Cocktail.
Bartenders at first were sorely puzzled what was wanted
when it was demanded. But now they are fully cognizant
of its various aliases and no difficulty is encountered.
It first appeared as a recipe in Harry Johnsons Bartenders
Manual (1884) in which he included two variants.

Variants and Mixology: - Manhattan:

Stir over ice in a mixing glass 40mls Martini Rosso, 20mls
All 7.95 Sazerac 6yr Rye Whiskey, 5mls curacao and 3 dashes
Bokers Bitters. Strain into a 3oz coupette and garnish with
a coin of orange peel.
- Brooklyn:
Sazerac 6yr Rye Whiskey, Lillet Blanc, Amer Picon and
maraschino liqueur.
- Affinity:
Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky, Lillet Blanc, Martini Rosso
and aromatic bitters.

83
 This is possibly the first drink to be labelled a Cocktail!
Short & Potent The first printed use of the word Cocktail was in 1803
from The Farmers Cabinet: Drank a glass of Cocktail
excellent for the head... Calld at the Docts. found
Burnham he looked very wise drank another glass
of Cocktail. However it wasnt until May 13th 1806
that a Cocktail was actually defined. The definition was
published in an edition of The Balance and Columbian
Repository. It stated a Cocktail was a stimulating liquor

The composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.

The Old-Fashioned is pretty much what is stated above
- spirits of any kind, sugar, water and

Old-Fashioned
bitters - and the first time a Whiskey Cocktail
appeared in print was in 1862, in Jerry
Thomass Bon Vivants Companion.
However the Pendennis Club has laid claim
to creating this drink in the 1880s. The Pendennis Club
was a Gentlemans Club located in Louisville, Kentucky
and the story goes that the drink was created by the
bartender there for James E.Pepper. It was Mr. Pepper who
then popularized the potion, even bringing the recipe with
him to the Waldorf Astoria. Albert Stevens Crockett backs
this up in 1935:
This was brought to the Old Waldorf in the days of its
sit down bar and was introduced by, or in honor of, Col.
James E. Pepper, of Kentucky, proprietor of a celebrated
whiskey of the period. It was said to have been the
invention of a bartender at the famous Pendennis Club.
Considering the Pendennis Club didnt even open its
doors until 1881 its very unlikely that they created this
drink. I believe the bartender in question in the club
when Mr.Pepper arrived was simply referring to the Old-
Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail.
The oldest recipe for an Old-Fashioned Cocktail is
documented in George Kappelers Modern American
Drinks (1895). In it he promotes the use of lemon peel in
this drink whilst other recipes since then have called for
orange, pineapple and cherry.

Variants and Mixology: - The Old-Fashioned:

Stir over ice in a whiskey tumbler 60mls Sazerac 6yr Rye,
All 8.45 7.5mls cane syrup, 2 dashes orange bitters, 2 dashes
Angostura Bitters and orange oils. Garnish with an orange
twist and two speared cherries.
- Corn and Oil:
Doorlys XO Rum, falernum, muddled lime peel, clove
tincture and aromatic bitters.
- Rusty Nail:
Johnnie Walker Black Scotch Whisky, Drambuie and
orange bitters

85
 Stories are manifold regarding the origins and birthplace
Short & Potent of this iconic drink but one thing is for sure, it originated
in America during the late 19th century. Vermouth arrived
in America during the 1860s and 70s and its certain
that the Martini started life as the Martinez Cocktail. The
first documentation of the Martinez was recorded in O.H

The
Bryons Modern Bartenders Guide (published 1884) in
which he described the Martinez as a gin substitution of a
Manhattan.

Dry Martini The first documentation of the word Martini

came a year later in Harry Johnsons book
although the recipe was a Martinez. O.H Bryon
doesnt document a Martini in his 1884 book but
he does list a drink called a Marguerite which consisted of
Plymouth Gin and French Vermouth with a dash of orange
bitters which is very similar to a Martini.
William Grimes, author of Straight up or on the Rocks
states that: the combination of gin, Vermouth and olive is
the holy trinity. And like any theological principle, it has
given rise to doctrinal dispute. This is very true and some
of the worlds biggest politicians, movie icons and authors
hold extremely strong view on what a Perfect Martini is.
Ernest Hemingway for instance liked his Martinis 15 parts
gin to one part Vermouth.
However the argument that propelled this drink into
stardom started between two friends and fellow authors -
W. Somerset Maugham and Ian Fleming. Maugham stated
that: Martinis should always be stirred, not shaken, so
that the molecules lie sensuously one on top of the other.
Ian Fleming on the other hand believed that this was utter
nonsense and he retaliated through his work. Fleming,
author of James Bond novels, penned the now iconic
catchphrase Shaken not stirred in the novel Diamond
are Forever (1956), although Bond doesnt actually say the
line until Dr.No (1958).

Variants and Mixology: - Dry Martini:

Stir over ice in a mixing glass 40mls Plymouth Gin, 20mls
All 7.95 Noilly Prat. Strained into a pre-chilled 3oz coupette and
garnish with olives.
- Martinez:
Martini Rosso, Old Tom Gin, maraschino liqueur, Bokers
Bitters, orange oils.
- Fifty-Fifty:
Equal parts Plymouth Gin and Noilly Prat, orange bitters
and lemon oils (NEW)
- Vesper Martini:
Gordon's Gin, Russky Standart Vodka, Kina Lillet and
lemon oils.

87
 The Negroni is one of the best known aperitifs in the
Short & Potent world; its a fantastic palate cleanser and a great
introduction to any meal. This potent potion was first
served before 1920 and the story goes that a customer
called Count Camillo Negroni popped into a bar called Bar

The
Casoni in Florence, Italy one day and asked for his beloved
Americano Cocktail to be served with a spike of gin.
Bartender Fasco Scardelli is credited with having served it
to him and soon afterwards, all patrons who came into

Negroni
the bar were asking for the Americano the Negroni
way. Within time this new drink was simply referred
to as the Negroni.
The first time the Negroni recipe appeared in bartending
literature was in 1929 in a book called Cocktails de
Paris and the drink was called a Camparinete. The
first time the Negroni appeared in a Cocktail Book was
in a 1939 version of the Floridita Bar Book. Both these
documentations illustrate how quickly this drink spread as
within 10 years or so it was documented in both a French
and Cuban book.
The classic Negroni recipe is very simple: it is equal
amounts of Sweet Vermouth, Campari and dry gin.
However we wanted gin to become the dominant note so
we reworked the classic formula a little.
A Negroni can be served two ways - with or without
ice. We decided that serving the drink over ice was the
best way and to finish this delectable potion off we also
decided to add a grapefruit spiral as a garnish, as we feel
that a hint of grapefruit adds a beautiful dimension to this
truly great drink.

Variants and Mixology: - Negroni:

Stir over ice in a mixing glass 35mls Tanqueray Gin,
All 8.45 17.5mls Campari, 12.5mls Martini Rosso, 5mls cane syrup
and 1 dash of orange bitters. Pour contents directly into
a large pre-chilled whiskey tumbler and garnish with a
spiral of grapefruit peel.
- Lucien Gaudin:
Plymouth Gin, Cointreau, Campari, Noilly Prat and orange
oils (NEW)
- Boulevardier:
Hennessy VS Cognac, Dubonnet, Campari and Kina Lillet
(NEW)

89
Drinks of the

92
The Pina
Colada
- Pina Colada (NEW)
- Pineapple Milk

94
Eggnog
- Baltimore Eggnog
- Tom & Jerry
- Sherry Flip (NEW)
- Coffee Cocktail

Style:
96
The
Grasshopper
- Grasshopper (NEW)
- Brandy Alexander
- White Russian

91
 The Pia Colada which translates as strained pineapple
Soft & Creamy in Spanish, has been the official beverage of Puerto Rico
since 1978. The earliest reference to a drink called a Pia
Colada containing rum, coconut cream and pineapple
juice, occurred in the April 16, 1950, edition of the

The
New York Times: "Drinks in the West Indies range from
Martiniques famous Rum Punch to Cubas Pina Colada
(rum, pineapple chunks and coconut milk). Key West has a
variety of Lime Swizzles and Punches and Granadians use

Pina nutmeg in their rum drinks." The earliest known reference

to a drink specifically called a Pia Colada is from TRAVEL
magazine, December 1922:

Colada "But best of all is a Pia Colada, the juice of a

perfectly ripe pineapplea delicious drink in
itselfrapidly shaken up with ice, sugar, lime
and Bacardi rum in delicate proportions. What could be
more luscious, more mellow and more fragrant?"
The above quote describes a drink without coconut, as
the Pia Colada was originally just the juice of a fresh
pineapple served either strained (colada) or unstrained
(sin colar). This evolved into a rum drink, and finally it
changed into the drink we know today. But its creation
was actually much earlier than that! In the 1820s, Puerto
Rican pirate Roberto Cofres (a.k.a. El Pirata Cofres),
to inspire his crew and to keep morale high, gave them
a beverage or Cocktail that contained coconut, pineapple
and white rum. This was what would be later known as
the famous Pia Colada. With his death in 1825, the recipe
for the Pia Colada was lost, until the barman of the Hilton
Hotel Caribe in Puerto Rico discovered the recipe.
The Caribe Hilton Hotel in Puerto Rico claims that their
bartender, Ramon Monchito Marrero created the Pia
Colada on August 15, 1954 after spending 3 months
perfecting the recipe.

Variants and Mixology: - Pina Colada:

Dry shake 30mls Bacardi Gold, 20mls Myers Dark Rum,
All 8.95 40mls house-made pineapple & coconut mix, 25mls fresh
cream, 30mls fresh pineapple juice and 1 dash aromatic
bitters. Shake again over ice and strain into an ice-filled
Nog-Glass. Garnish with a fresh pineapple chunk and
toasted coconut flakes and serve with a straw (NEW)
- Pineapple Milk:
Spanish Brandy, cane syrup, vanilla extract, fresh milk,
fresh pineapple juice, aromatic bitters and the white of
half an egg.

93
 Many believe that Eggnog is a tradition that was brought
Soft & Creamy to America from Europe. This is partially true. Eggnog is
related to various milk and wine Punches that had been
concocted long ago in Europe. However in America a
new twist was put on the theme; rum was used instead
of wine. In Colonial America, rum was commonly called

Eggnog
grog, so the name Eggnog is likely derived from
the very descriptive term for this drink, egg-and-
grog, which corrupted to eggngrog and soon to
eggnog.
Other experts would have it that the nog of
Eggnog comes from the word noggin. A noggin
was a small, wooden, carved mug. It was used to serve
drinks at tables in taverns (while drinks beside the fire
were served in tankards). It is thought that Eggnog started
out as a mixture of Spanish Sherry and milk. The English
called this concoction Dry-Sack Posset. It is very easy to
see how an egg drink in a noggin could become Eggnog.
With its European roots and the availability of the
ingredients, Eggnog soon became a popular wintertime
drink throughout Colonial America. In the 1820s Pierce
Egan, a period author, wrote a book called Life of London:
or Days and Nights of Jerry Hawthorne and His Elegant
Friend Corinthina Tom. To publicize his work Mr. Egan
made up a variation of Eggnog that he called Tom and
Jerry.
Eggnog, in the 1800s was nearly always made in large
quantities and nearly always used as a social drink. It
was commonly served at holiday parties and in Baltimore
it was a tradition for young men to call upon all of their
friends on New Years Day. At each of many homes the
strapping fellows were offered a cup of Eggnog and so as
they went on their way they became more inebriated.

Variants and Mixology: - Baltimore Eggnog:

Dry shake 15mls Hennessy VS Cognac, 20mls rich Madeira
All 7.95 Wine, 15mls Appleton VX Rum, 20mls cane syrup, 15mls
fresh cream, 50mls full fat milk and a whole egg. Then
shake again over ice and strain neat into a large goblet.
Garnish with mixed spices and serve with a straw.
- Tom & Jerry:
Hennessy VS Cognac, Appleton VX Rum, cane syrup,
vanilla extract, fresh cream, aromatic bitters and a whole
egg topped up with piping hot milk.
- Sherry Flip:
Cream Sherry, cane syrup, fresh cream and the yolk of one
egg (NEW)
- Coffee Cocktail:
Hennessy VS Cognac, Port Wine, cane syrup and a whole
egg.

95
 During Prohibition in America all distilleries were ordered
Soft & Creamy to stop manufacturing alcohol and this forced alcohol
production underground which resulted in a very poor
product. All gins, whiskies and rums produced during
this period became very potent and very harsh.This
made the bartenders job harder as he had to disguise
the harshness of the base ingredient and thus drinks

The
became sweeter and creamier and so drinks such as the
Alexander and the Grasshopper came to fruition.
The first reference to the Brandy

Grasshopper
Alexander I can find is in
Harry MacElhone's Barflies and
Cocktails (1927). Its listed as the
Alexander and this drink also
pops up in The Savoy Cocktail
Book three years later, however this time it contained gin.
It became a very popular drink and as we have learned
all drinks that are popular become interpreted and new
variations appear; thus the Grasshopper was born.
Due to the great research done by Eric Felten who
authored Hows Your Drink, it was discovered that the
Grasshopper was the result of a marketing strategy during
the 1940s. It was probably influenced by.the enormous
success of the marketing plan behind the Moscow
Mule by Smirnoff. The Leroux Liqueurs Company of
Philadelphia only made cordials, so what better drink for
them to promote than one anchored by a pair of liqueurs.
Soon after liqueur companies got into the act, and the
Grasshopper was made. Sweet, creamy, and pretty, the
Grasshopper quickly became an iconic girly-drink.
It supposedly originated in Tujagues Bar in New Orleans.
David Embury absolutely detested it and called it Strictly
Vile in his book The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks (1949).
However Embury believed that anything labelled a
Cocktail should whet the appetite and act therefore as an
aperitif - but the Grasshopper is not that kind of drink.
Its a fantastic "digestif" that possesses a beautiful minty
chocolate flavour with a lovely texture.

Variants and Mixology: - Grasshopper:

Shake over ice 25mls white Crme de Cacao, 25mls Crme
All 7.95 de Menthe and 25mls double-cream. Strain over cracked
ice into a rocks glass and garnish with dark chocolate
shavings (NEW)
- Brandy Alexander:
Hennessy VS Cognac, dark Crme de Cacao and fresh
double-cream.
- White Russian:
Russky Standart Vodka, coffee liqueur and fresh double
cream.

97
100
The Irish Coffee
- Irish Coffee
- Malt Whiskey Skin
- Apple Toddy
- Port Wine Negus

99
 The original Irish coffee was invented in 1942 by a chef
Hot Drinks called Joseph Sheridan who worked in a restaurant and
coffee shop at Foynes Port in County Limerick. Foynes
Port was the precursor to Shannon International Airport
in the West of Ireland; the coffee was conceived after a

The
group of American passengers disembarked from a Pan
Am flying boat on a miserable winters evening. In order to
warm the passengers up Sheridan had added whiskey to
regular coffee and topped it off with whipped cream. After
the passengers asked if they were being served Brazilian

Irish
Coffee, Sheridan told them it was Irish Coffee.
Sometime later, a travel writer for the San Francisco
Chronicle called Stanton Delaplane tasted the coffee

Coffee
as he was travelling through Shannon Airport. He
loved it and brought the idea back to The Buena
Vista Restaurant on Fishermans Wharf, his favourite
San Francisco watering hole.
Jack Koeppler, then-owner of the Buena Vista, challenged
Stan to help him re-create the wonderful drink that hed
been served in Shannon. Intrigued, Stan Accepted Jacks
invitation, and on the night of November the 10th, 1952,
the pair began to experiment. They encountered major
problems from the offset trying to get the cream to float
and getting the overall balance of the drink just right. But
they persevered with religious fervour and success was
soon theirs. The fame of the Buena Vistas Irish Coffees
spread throughout the world and today the restaurant
claims to make 2000 Irish Coffees a day.
The recipe we use at the bar is one that Id seen leading
US cocktail mixologist Dale DeGroff use during an
exhibition in London. I had never liked Irish Coffees before
I tasted his version and I fully believe that this is one of the
best recipes there is.

Variants and Mixology: - Irish Coffee:

Into a pre-warmed 6oz goblet add 50mls Jameson Irish
All 7.95 Whiskey, 20mls molasses syrup and 100mls fresh strong
coffee. Stir briefly and then float a thick layer of freshly
hand-whipped cream on top. Garnish with some fresh
grated nutmeg (and shamrock, when in season).
- Malt Whiskey Skin:
Redbreast 12yr Irish Whiskey, coarse loaf sugar, hot water
and lemon zest.
- Apple Toddy:
Havana Club Blanco Rum, Hennessy VS Cognac, spiced
syrup and hot apple juice.
- Port Wine Negus:
Tawny Port, Crme de Cassis, fresh orange & lemon juices,
cane syrup, hot water and clove tincture.

101
Alcohol-
Alcohol- oyh
Fr e e D Alco
Free
104 Stone Bottle Ginger Beer
- Stone Bottle Ginger Beer
- Traditional Eggnog
- Fruit Cup
- Black Tea Punch

rinks:sf
Drinks: dfov

103
 Ginger Beer is said to have been invented during the mid
Alcohol-Free 1700s in England. The product that was used back then
is an entirely different being to Ginger Beer as we know
it today. Dave Wondrich talking about how Punch has
changed from its inception in the 17th century to what
most people know today says: That bears the same
relation to the anaemic concoctions that pass under its
name today that gladiatorial combat does to a sorority
pillow fight.

Stone Bottle This is similar to the misconception many

people have these days about Ginger Beer;

Ginger Beer
people believe that Ginger Beer is akin to
ginger lemonade just a tad stronger than
ginger ale and many of todays Ginger Beer
products reflect this perception. When this
was created back in the 1700s it was known for its strong
gingery note and for it being refreshingly delicious. Many
different versions have been documented over the years
and indeed Charles Baker lists two in Jigger, Beaker
and Flask (1939): This is one of the oldest temperance
beverage receipts we own, and dates to well back into
Georgian days in rural England, Circa 1766.
To our way of thinking a rich Ginger Beer is to average
ginger ale as Napoleon brandy is to Nawth Calina white
mule. Stone bottles may be ordered in for us by the country
grocer, on a few days notice and in big towns we may
find empties in any good delicatessen or provision store.
Of course this Ginger Beer may be bottled in glass, but that
too is like modernizing any mellowed and ancient custom,
or like a charming girl in sport slacks who wears high
heels; for them certain of the charm flies out the window,
through needless inconsistency.

Variants and Mixology: - Stone Bottle Ginger Beer:

Pour over ice in a Highball Glass 100mls house-made
All 5.95 Ginger Beer and 50mls chilled seltzer water. Garnish
with house-made crystallized ginger and serve additional
seltzer and stone bottle ginger on the side.
- Traditional Eggnog:
Milk, cream, cane syrup, vanilla extract, seasonal spices
and a full egg.
- Fruit Cup:
Fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice, house-made
pineapple cordial and chilled seltzer water.
- Black Tea Punch:
Chilled black tea, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice,
house-made raspberry cordial, cane syrup, fresh
pineapple juice and chilled seltzer water.

105
Glassware Chart

3oz coupette 5oz coupette 7oz coupette collins glass cup punch goblet

fizz glass flip glass irish coffee glass julep cup moscow mule cup sour glass

paris goblet pina colada punch cup rocks glass whiskey tumbler small whiskey tumbler

champagne flute large tumbler tumbler absinthe glass eggnog glass

107
Index
A El Diablo P35
Absinthe Drip P79
Affinity P83
Alfonso P13
Apple Toddy P101
Armilitta Chico P57
Aviation P55
Aviator P65
B Fog Cutter P71
Baltimore Eggnog P95
Beachcomber Zombie P75
Black Tea Punch P105
Blushing Lady P59
Boulevardier P89
Bramble P53
Brandy Alexander P97
Brandy Crusta P51
Brooklyn P83
C Grasshopper P97
Caipirinha P49
Celery Sour P55
Champagne Cocktail P13
Champagne Negroni P15
Champs Elysees P51
Chianti Cobbler P21
Cider Cup P23
Claret Cup P23
Classic White Peach Bellini P15
Clover Club P55
Coffee Cocktail P95
Companero P47
Corn and Oil P85
Corpse Reviver #2 P59
Cosmopolitan P43
D
Daiquiri Naturale
Dark and Stormy
P47
P39
L
Le Vieux Carre
Little Polynesian
P81
P73
Rangoon Sling
Real Georgia Mint Julep
Remember the Maine
P29
P41
P81
Dizzy Sour P63 Lucien Gaudin P89 Rhine Wine Cobbler P21
Dry Martini P87 Rusty Nail P85
M
E Mabel Berra P53 S
Maidens Prayer P55 Satans Whiskers P43
El Draque P49 Mai Tai P71 Sazerac P81
Etons Blazer P31 Malt Whiskey Skin P101 Seafarers Punch P19
Eureka P65 Manhattan P83 Sherry Cobbler P21
Margarita P57 Sherry Flip P95
F Martinez P87 Sidecar P51
Fifty-Fifty P87 Martinique Rum Swizzle P37 Sloe Gin Fiz(z) P61
Finn McCool P27 Melancholy Punch P39 Sloe Gin Ginger Sling P29
Fiz(z) de Violette P61 Mr. Harrison P31 Solomon Sling P29
Mulatta Daisy P47 Sour de Campo P67
French Canadian P53 Spiced Rum P73
French 71 P15 N Stone Bottle Ginger Beer P105
Fruit Cup P105 Navy Grog P75
Negroni P89 T
G Nui Nui P73 The Cincinnati Kid P31
General Batista P71 The Elixer P49
Gimlet P43 O The Fernet Side P33
Gincognito P27 Old-Fashioned P85 The Last Word P55
Gin-Gin Mule P33 Old Mule Skinner P35 The Phoenix P51
Gin Sling P29 The Sicilian P31
P The Southside P33
Green Swizzle P37 Pegu Club Cocktail P43 The Supernatural P51
Penicillin P67 Tom & Jerry P95
H Pimms Cup P23 Tortuga P75
Hemingway Daiquiri P47 Pina Colada P93 Traditional Eggnog P105
Hollands Gin Fix P53 Pineapple Milk P93 Twentieth Century Cocktail P59
Pineapple Pisco Punch Bowl P19
I Pinky Gonzalez P57 U
Irish Coffee P101 Pisco Sour P63 Ultimate Gin & Tonic P27
Port Wine Negus P101
J Presbyterian P67 V
Jack Rose P65 Vava Voom P47
Jimmy Roosevelt P13 Q Vesper P87
Queens Park Swizzle P37
K W
Kentucky Mint Julep P41 R Whiskey Smash P49
Kon Tiki Ti Punch P71 Ramos Gin Fiz(z) P61 Whiskey Sour P63
White Lady P59
White Russian P97
109
Unparalleled Elegance.
Unforgettable Indulgence.
The Merchant Hotel is a sumptuous five star hotel situated
in the historical Cathedral Quarter of Belfasts city centre

This magnificent Grade A listed property has been

sensitively restored to its original splendour and continues to
go from strength to strength! The architectural grandeur of the
exterior and the opulence of the interior, demand an excellence
of service and warmth of welcome that immediately sets
guests at their ease, with an ambience that embodies luxury
and comfort around the clock.

The building, which was purpose built as the Head Quarters

of The Ulster Bank, was completed in 1860. Its stunning,
classically styled interiors reflect a remarkable heritage. At
the heart of The Merchant Hotel is our multi award winning
cocktail bar officially the worlds best hotel bar* and home to
the worlds most expensive cocktail.

*The Bar at The Merchant Hotel was awarded this prestigious

accolade and two others (Worlds Best Cocktail Menu and Worlds
Best Drinks Selection) at the world famous, internationally
acclaimed Spirit Awards, as part of the Tales of the Cocktail
Festival in New Orleans 2009.

111
The Bar at the Merchant Hotel
Accolades 2007-2009:

Theme Magazine Best New UK Bar 2007

Class Magazine Best UK Hotel Bar 2007
Theme Magazine Best UK Bar Team & Drink Selection 2008
Class Magazine Best UK Hotel Bar 2008
Class Magazine Best UK Cocktail Experience 2008
Imbibe Magazine Best UK Boutique Hotel Bar 2009
Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Awards Worlds Best Hotel Bar 2009
Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Awards Worlds Best Drink Selection 2009
Tales of the Cocktail Spirit Awards Worlds Best Cocktail List 2009

A copy of this book is available to purchase from the bar.