Old Pal

This cocktail first shows up in an introduction written for Harry McElhone’s 1927 “Barflies and Cocktails.” It is described thusly: “I remember way back in 1878, on the 30th of February to be… Continue reading →

The Scofflaw

Put an advert in the newspaper for the public to come up with a name for anyone inclined to ignore the new laws prohibiting the distribution of spiritous liquors and you end up… Continue reading →

Jersey Lily Pousse Cafe

Lillie Langtry: lover to the future King Edward VII and mooned over by Judge Roy Bean (who named his saloon after her). Lillie proved to be a force of nature, both as a… Continue reading →

Diablo Cocktail

I had a devil of a time tracking down this cocktail’s origin. I finally gave up. As far as I can tell, San Francisco native, William “Cocktail” Boothby, may have been the only… Continue reading →

The Follies Cocktail

To glorify beauty is to glorify truth Florenz Ziegfeld Inspired by the Folies Bergère in Paris, Florenz Ziegfeld turned the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York into an American cathedral of beauty. Thus… Continue reading →

Chrysanthemum

This delightful libation can be found in the 1917 (second edition) Recipes of Mixed Drinks by Hugo Ensslin where he gives “a complete list of the standard mixed drinks that are in use… Continue reading →

Monkey Gland Cocktail

Your word for the day: xenotranplantation. Brought to you by Dr. Serge Voronoff, who came up with the idea to surgically graft monkey testicle tissue to human males in order to increase virility.… Continue reading →

Martinez Cocktail

  Let’s get one thing straight right up front. The Martinez is not, I repeat, not the forerunner of the Martini. While they are similar, the Martinez did not evolve into the Martini.… Continue reading →

Couronne Cocktail

The Couronne is one of those unusual, though by no means unheard of, cocktails that employ two base liquors. In this case it is gin and whiskey. Add to that a strong dose… Continue reading →

September Morn Cocktail

September Morn was a painting by French artist Paul Emile Chabas and exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1912. It created quite a stir in the U.S. when copies of the work were… Continue reading →